


Dominion and Defiance

by EvanAllure



Series: The Alchemist's Harem [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alchemy, Demons, Dimension Travel, Drug Addiction, F/M, Fantasy, Goddesses, Harems, Human/Monster Romance, Masochism, Orgy, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Pseudo-Incest, Summoning, Tentacle Sex, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvanAllure/pseuds/EvanAllure
Summary: Orphan Alair thinks he’s insignificant, and that his actions only affect himself. In reality, every move he makes could change all six dimensions, from the lives of the very poorest to the goddesses who created them.His foster family devoutly worship Gaia, the Earth Goddess. When he is caught committing heresy with a demon woman, Shadar, he loses his home and his job at their alchemy shop. With nowhere to go, and only the alchemical knowledge they imparted upon him, he decides to travel with Shadar to her home in the Deep dimension.While searching for Venestra, the Deep Goddess, they will find out the shocking truth about Gaia’s jealous heart and megalomaniacal desires. She has overstepped her bounds, and Alair finds himself fighting against his own goddess.The Alchemist’s Harem is a litrpg harem adventure with flirty monstergirls, rare crafted items, summoned goddesses, and inter-dimensional landscapes.
Series: The Alchemist's Harem [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019803
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Kingston

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story! I have written over 50,000 words so far, and will upload them as I tidy each chapter up. The final story will probably be twice as long.

The green flame swallowed up the filter paper, sand, and flakes of pearl, shimmering and simmering into a thick liquid before resolidifying as a glass water filter. It would create the purest water available, even out of swamp or sea water. I couldn't count how many I'd made since first learning alchemy fourteen years ago, when I was a grubby and wide eyed ten year old street urchin. Sure, it was a mundane use of the skill, but objects like this kept my benefactors, the Randalphs, in business, and they, in turn, kept me clothed, fed, and sheltered. I placed the filter with the other mail order items, including a heated blanket I'd invented at age eleven and which was, by now, heating practically every bed in Kingston City.

Maximali Randalph picked up my latest creation, his blue eyes roving over the glass, blond brow furrowed. 

He gave a gruff, satisfied grunt and set it back down, turning to me. "Package these up and take them down to the post office. I've got a shopping list, too." 

He handed me a slip of cream paper that felt like silk to touch. Only the best from the most sought after alchemist in the city. His green satin and gold embroidered jacket, multiple rings on every finger, and ruby brooch all confirmed his wealth to anyone who might meet him on this chilly but bright winter morning. The only thing that didn't speak of opulence was his spelling, printed beautifully with his black fountain pen but so very, very wrong. I wouldn't judge him for it; he was dyslexic and got his daughter, Quenlie, and myself to check any important documents he wrote.

Quenlie popped her head up from where she was waterproofing a lacy shoe, her own design and the height of fashion. "I'll go with you, Alair."

I smiled warmly at her and said, "Perfect," before her father could disagree. "Your company makes any task enjoyable."

"Oh, you." She swiped at my shoulder and giggled, a blush forming on her powdered cheeks.

Maximali looked torn between boasting about his daughter's charming company and discouraging her easy affection with me. It wasn't that he didn't like me, but her aristocratic lineage from her mother's side and her gorgeous appearance meant she had the pick of any man in the six dimensions. With her golden hair, warm, brown skin, and honey-flecked eyes, she would look perfect on a prince's arm. The lace of her skirt tickled the tops of her shapely legs, and her ample breasts swelled over her opulent corset.

She was absolutely exquisite, and, though I was dressed in the best, my brown hair tied back in a silk ribbon and my wiry frame decorated with silver embroidery, I was still an orphaned street urchin, at the heart of it. Twenty four years old and apprentice to the best alchemist around, and I would never get rid of that status. I didn't mind, though. I knew I was lucky, and I was never ambitious.

I was wrapping up the last of the mail order packages when the doorbell jingled and two familiar figures limped into the shop, hiding their bad leg and failing hip under long skirts. Quenlie's aristocratic mother, Greta, and Jen Clement, and old witch and regular customer at  _ Randalph's Alchemy _ . Maximali greeted them with a hug each and led them to the plush couches at the back of the shop.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" he asked, sitting across from Jen.

"To be honest, I just wanted someone to gossip to." She chuckled.

Greta giggled behind her hand, jewels sparkling against her ebony skin, and a faint blush glowing in her plump cheeks. "Jen's been telling me about our dear Eve."

Everyone in Kingston City referred to Eve Fullbright like that. In reality, she had as much family as I did.

"She's just come back from an expedition into the countryside, defending Earth and Gaia from those nasty demons." Jen dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a chipped piece of black horn, the sharp point glinting in the firelight. "She gave me this souvenir."

Maximali leaned forward and took it in reverent hands, a mixture of awe and revulsion on his face. "You  _ have _ to sell it to me."

Jen shook her head. "I'm going to use it in a spell of protection. Don't worry. I'll include your fine mansion within the barrier."

He sighed and smoothed his thumb over the glossy surface before handing it back to her. "I would probably go mad trying to think of a worthy use for it, anyway."

I knew what I'd do with it, but telling these fine folk about my nightly prayers to Venestra, Goddess of the Deep Dimension and creator of all demons, would not go well. They were, and I'm putting this kindly, fanatical about Earth's own goddess, Gaia. I mean, sure, I prayed to her, too, but there were seven stunning goddesses in total, and they all deserved love.

"Gaia, bless her, seeks a lot of support, these days," Jen said. "The threat from outside our dimension looms large, and I've got to do all I can to help."

Maximali and Greta nodded, serious frowns on their faces. I shared a pinched glance with Quenlie.

"We are so lucky to have Eve and her team to protect us," Greta said. "Especially now that she can summon Gaia. What a sight that must be."

I flushed with jealousy. Sure, I was no warrior like Eve, but I desperately wanted to summon a goddess one day.

"One day, I'm going to summon Gaia," Quenlie spoke up.

I smiled widely and said, "I hope you do."

Maximali huffed. "Gaia would be wise to take you up on the offer. You're a fine alchemist, and she is the finest of all alchemists."

Quenlie laughed. "Of course a human alchemist would say that."

Maximali eyed her disapprovingly. "You think there's a better alchemist in the six dimensions?"

Quenlie clopped over to him in her high heels and swung her arms around his shoulders. "Why, you, of course!"

He laughed gruffly and patted her hand. "Alright. Well, you two had better head off before the post office gets busy."

She let go of him and retrieved her satchel from the workbench, filling it with mail order packages.

"Do you want to take the horses or catch the train?" I asked, filling my own bag with the remaining packages.

"I want to walk." She grinned and pinned a small tricorne hat onto her tall, curled and coiffed hair, which was supplemented with a wig. She buckled some slightly more sensible shoes on, with heels just as tall but much sturdier. This all brought her height up past mine, and I wasn't exactly short.

We linked arms and said goodbye to Maximali, Greta, and Jen, then walked out into the cool winter sun.

"What would you do with that horn?" she asked lowly, when we were far enough away from the shop.

I tilted my head and twisted my lips as though I had to think about it. "Probably alchemise a brooch out of it."

She looked at me like she didn't believe me, and said, "No, that's what  _ I _ would do with it. You'd probably burn it at your heathen shrine."

I pinked and stared at her in alarm. "How did you know about that?"

She laughed loudly. "You're funny."

My shoulders sagged. Just the previous evening, I'd burned six items with my alchemist's burner while praying to the seven goddesses. Soil for Gaia, Goddess of Earth; volcanic rock for Venestra, Goddess of Deep; leaves for Jasmine, Goddess of Efflorescent; ocean water for Lunar and Solar, Goddesses of Eclipse; glowbug skin for Aurora, Goddess of Light; and dove feathers for Charmeine, Goddess of Seraph. Maximali would be livid if he knew that was what I was using the burner he'd given me for. Even so, I wanted to test out what Quenlie thought of the subject.

"Do you really think Venestra and her demons are trying to infiltrate Earth?" I asked.

Quenlie squeezed my arm and said, "I was thinking...it's possible that those demons fighting Eve and her team might be rogue, and not acting on Venestra's orders. I mean, she's got her own dimension; why would she want ours?"

I smiled. "I was thinking the same thing, actually. We don't need to vilify her just because she's not Gaia."

Quenlie gave me a cheeky smile. "Speaking of shrines, let's take a detour."

She led me down a cobbled lane lined with cherry blossom trees and camellia shrubs, towards a marble temple and its secluded courtyard and garden. A statue of Gaia towered over us as we entered, her serene, deep brown eyes gazing fondly. A little flake of paint had chipped off her golden brown nose, revealing the white and grey marble underneath.

Quenlie laced her fingers with mine and pulled me through the archway and into the temple, where the smoky, vanilla scent of incense wafted and stung my eyes. The altar was covered with little packages, offerings from the devoted, but we were alone in the cavernous room.

Pulling me through and into the garden out the back, Quenlie shot me a coquettish smile. "If Gaia needs our strength, how will you worship her with me?"

Our bags clinked to the ground. I checked that the ancient trees surrounding the temple and garden really did shield us from outside view, then stepped close to her and brushed my lips against hers. Her gloss tasted sweet and her breath was warm.

"I'll worship her by reveling in the gorgeous body she created," I murmured against her skin.

"Nnnn," she whined, melting against me and winding her arms around my neck.

Her breasts rubbed against my chest and her neck flushed. I kissed her deeply, sucking her plush bottom lip into my mouth and licking at the glossy flesh. She hummed against me and gently scraped her teeth over my top lip, sending a shiver down my leg. Her puffy petticoat rode up my thigh as she ground herself against me. I slipped my hand underneath the chiffon and lace, and found the ruffled bloomers underneath. She whined as I brushed my fingertips up under the hem. The skin of her inner thighs was damp, and the musky scent of her arousal tickled my nose as I pulled her bloomers down. They dropped to the floor and she stepped out of them.

Pulling me by the lapels, she walked backwards until she hit the wooden edge of a bench, and sat up on it. She fumbled with my trousers, pulling them down my hips and giving my hot and hard cock some breathing room. Shivering, she pressed a dainty fingertip to the head and swirled a bead of precome around, causing me to buck involuntarily into her hand.

"Ah!" She grasped me, giggling, and spread her legs around my hips.

I shoved her skirt and petticoat up and took a good look at her dripping labia before spreading them with eager fingertips and lining the blunt, slick head of my cock up with her pussy. She moaned and accepted me into her tight, warm passage, the pressure and friction making my head swim. I slid in to the hilt and stilled, hips flush against her inner thighs.

"Oh, Gaia," she moaned and clenched around me.

I nuzzled against her neck and sucked at her pulse point, then brought my lips to her ear and murmured, "Thank you, Gaia, for Quenlie's beautiful body."

Her breath fluttered and a bead of sweat dripped down into her cleavage. I pulled the ruffled fabric down and thumbed over a nipple, massaging it into hardness while she moaned and squeezed around my cock.

"Give Gaia all your strength," she whispered and locked her legs around my hips, urging me to move.

I rocked my hips back, slow at first, teasing Quenlie with the drag of our flesh against flesh. She moaned indulgently and arched her back, then reached behind herself and loosened her corset.

"I'm going to faint, at this rate." Her voice was light and trembling, almost all breath.

I pulled the back bones of her corset apart and her chest heaved. When I was sure she was comfortable, I thrust back into her, making her gasp. Her eyelashes fluttered and her hips rocked, bringing us as close as we could get. I gripped her hips and started a steady, quick rhythm, pumping in and out of her slick, eager pussy. She threw her head back and moaned with abandon.

As pleasure thrummed and throbbed between us, building exponentially with each thrust, a lightness entered my mind and gave the experience a celestial quality. It was clear that Gaia was with us, her breasts pressing against me as Quenlie's were, her power clenching in Quenlie's pelvic muscles and thrusting my hips. Tears collected at the corners of Quenlie's eyes and she stared at me with that glassy, faraway look that meant she could feel it, too.

We came together, a tensing of muscles and throbbing of nerves, our bodies seized by Gaia. My seed spilled inside Quenlie's quivering body and I pumped it deeper inside her.

When I pulled out, my cock was clean and no fluid dripped from her rosy, spent flesh. We smiled at each other, happy to know that Gaia had accepted our offering and drunk our fluid, our energy, our pheromones.

Quenlie stretched and wriggled her hips with a soft moan. I smoothed my hands down her thighs and kissed her softly.

"You're so good," I crooned against her lips.

"You are." Her voice was all moan and sigh.

She slid off the wooden bench and stepped over to where her bloomers lay discarded. As she bent over to retrieve them, she gave me a good view of her ass and pussy between her thighs, her petticoat flipping up. I stepped in close, stroked a soft, downy cheek and slid my thumb over her labia. She squeaked and stood up straight, pressing her thighs together.

"You'll make me wet all over again."

"I don't see a problem with that." I nosed against her jawline and bit her earlobe.

She moaned, rolled her body against mine, but said, "Later, later. I'll sneak into your room tonight."

"Mmm." I hummed and gave her a thorough kiss before stepping away and leaving her breathless.

I tucked myself back into my trousers while she slipped her bloomers back on and tightened her corset.

She patted her hair, of which a strand hadn't fallen out of place, and asked, "Do I look good?"

"Always." I smiled and stroked my thumb over her cheek.

She chuckled and nuzzled my hand, then bent down to pick up our bags. I took mine from her and slung it over one shoulder, while linking my other arm around hers, and we walked out of the temple having done our goddessly duty.

As we got closer to Kingston Market, we were passed by horses, carts, and other foot travellers. Out the corner of my eye, I was sure I glimpsed a shadow without a form, but it never let me look directly at it.

I rubbed my eyes and turned to Quenlie. "I'm pretty sure there's a shadow following me."

She squeezed my arm and looked at me fondly. "Did I tire you out?"

I laughed. "It's not that. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks."

"Maybe," she sang.

I shook my hair out of my face, then blinked, touching the back of it. "My ribbon fell out."

"I know." Quenlie giggled. "I think it makes you look roguish."

"Well, if you like it," I said, leaving it alone, though the back of my mind told me everyone would think it was typical of the street urchin to leave his hair untied.

Up ahead, gulls cawed as they flew out to sea, just beyond the clifftop emerging on our right. The large stone bricks of  _ Fullbright Academy  _ stood at the top of the cliff, the clock tower overlooking the sea. Just outside the wrought iron gate, a group of trainees were practicing their hand to hand combat on the lawn. I looked for the red hair of the beloved Eve Fullbright, but instead found the jet black hair of Kalista Welich. Her lanky limbs locked around the thick neck of Baron (no last name) and subdued him. She noticed Quenlie and I watching, and let him go with a pat on the back. Jogging up to us, she waved and grinned, while Baron gave Quenlie the evil eye. I wrapped an arm around her protectively, though I couldn't exactly fault him. He'd hated the aristocracy ever since his poor but titled family sold him to  _ Fullbright Academy _ to fund their extravagant lifestyle. He made me feel lucky to be an orphan.

Kalista, on the other hand, had living parents, though they, too, had been too poor to take care of her. Before she was taken in by the academy and I was taken in by the Randalphs, we had been beggars on the street together, working in the smoky cart factory and developing the same asthmatic cough.

Her shoes kicked up dust as she jogged to the side of the road and stopped in front of us. "Hey! Going in to market?"

"Yeah," I said. "Good job beating Baron."

She laughed and wiped her sweaty brow. "Technically, I hadn't beaten him, yet. He's most ferocious when you've got him pinned."

"I would like to never experience that wrath." Quenlie leaned into my side.

Kalista waved her hand. "It's not like you two are gonna fight us."

"I should hope not." I looked at Quenlie. "Your father never taught us combative alchemy."

"I feel a little let down by him." She twisted her mouth. "What if a demon attacks and there's no warrior around?"

"There'll always be one of us around." Kalista patted her shoulder. "Hey, I heard Danny and his gang were gonna go harass the Eclipse temple. You wanna check it out?"

"I hope by  _ check it out _ you mean  _ stop them _ , because that's just rude," I said, brow furrowing. "Those Eclipse parishioners never hurt anyone."

"Yes, talk about an easy target." Quenlie harrumphed.

We hurried on with Kalista, towards the glossy darkmoonstone spire of the Eclipse temple. The alien stone threw off an eerie aura against the clear blue sky. As we neared, we could hear raised voices and the clang of metal. Quenlie gripped my hand tight and sped up her strides.

The hulking figure of Danny, flanked by his equally thick muscled minions, seemed impossibly huge next to Zoey Denham's rail thin but defiant form, her bony hands clenched into fists. Derrick Jandome was next to her, his arms outstretched in a placating gesture. Behind them were the three jackalopes who tended to the temple, Yanni and Nubar Culot, and Jannip Eidrel. Though their rabbit ears and antelope antlers made them a good foot taller than Danny, and their intricate armour and leather clothing was far better suited to fighting than his moth eaten blouse and silk trousers, they were a peaceful trio just trying to live their lives in a foreign dimension. I really wished my fellow earthlings would be more accommodating.

"Traitors." Danny knocked Derrick back with his hairy fist. "I'll make you answer to Gaia for your heresy."

"Gaia wouldn't want us to fight," Zoey stepped in between the two men, and my heart swelled for her.

"You know nothing about what Gaia wants. She demands complete loyalty and devoted worship." Danny spat at her feet.

She tripped backwards, away from the glob of spit, and Derrick caught her by the elbows. Nubar cut in front of them and tilted his antlers towards Danny, a subtle threat. Danny grabbed hold of one of Nubar's long, soft, and dark brown ears, and yanked hard, heedless of the antlers extending out around those ears. Nubar punched Danny in the gut, but it was like hitting six bricks, instead of abs. Danny threw him back and he sprawled on the dusty ground.

I looked to Kalista, but she was just standing there, watching with a calculating look on her face.

"What on Earth," I muttered and turned to Quenlie, instead. "What can we do?"

I pressed my hands to my belt and found my knife, a tiny little thing that was better for opening letters than fighting. Quenlie patted her hair and came up with her hat pin. It glinted in the cold midday light.

"The rocks." She pointed to some loose rocks on the side of the road, and pulled her alchemist’s burner and flask out of her satchel.

I caught on and gathered a handful of the rocks, taking them back to tip into her flask. She heated them up with her green alchemist's flame, then dropped her hat pin in with them. The contents of the flask liquefied and simmered, then resolidified into a crude, pin shaped sword with a pearl pommel. She pulled it out of the flask in a burst of green fire, and held it aloft proudly. We did the same with my little knife, alchemising it into a stone sword.

We gave each other excited glances, probably holding our new swords wrong, but our inexperience and nerves just fueled our impulsive agitation. As we jogged up to the fray, Danny and his gang balked, stepping away from us.

"No need for swords," he said, then burst into laughter at our crude weapons.

I darted forward on light feet, sword held high, and Danny's laughter faltered, but he stood his ground. We stared each other down as I made myself look more confident than I felt. Before my very eyes, his shadow seemed to rise up and engulf him. He jolted, his defiant posture slackening, and his gaze darted around.

"What was that?" He shivered.

"Do you want to stay and find out?" I raised my eyebrows and tipped my sword towards his chin.

He took in a great breath of consternation and turned back to his minions. "This isn't worth it."

Off they strode, leaving me wondering what exactly had happened. I lowered my sword and turned to Quenlie, who was grinning at me.

"You scared the zeal outta them!" She set her hat pin sword down and bounded over to me.

"Did you see the shadow?" I asked, and she gave me a quizzical look.

"Thank you so much," Nubar said from behind me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

I turned to him. "Don't worry about it. I'm not sure it was me who frightened them, anyway."

"I think Luna and Solar were on your side," he said. "I felt their power when you stood up to them."

I stared at the jackalope in wonder. Could the shadow really have been the two Eclipse goddesses? My shoulders tingled at the thought.

"Will you come into the temple and rest awhile?" Yanni asked, coming forward to wrap an arm around Nubar's waist. Her honey brown ears twitched between her burgundy antlers.

"We'd love to, but we're supposed to be at the post office," I said, gesturing to my bag on the ground. "Perhaps we could come back later?"

The jackalope couple nodded with hopeful smiles.

Jannip approached with Zoey and Derrick following behind her. She had a smooth stone in her palm. "Please accept this gift. Darkmoonstone. It could lend unexpected and mysterious power to your alchemy."

I accepted the stone with no small amount of reverence. It was heavy in my palm, dense and dark, gleaming under the sun. "Thank you. I will pray to Luna and Solar and thank them for their support."

The jackalopes and their two human converts nodded.

"They are smiling upon you, I know it," Zoey said, her bony hands clasped. "Don't be afraid of their power."

"And you," I looked at her kindly, "look after yourself."

"I will," she said noncommittally. "The goddesses help me through each day."

I reached out and squeezed her hand, then waved goodbye and turned back to Quenlie. We shouldered our bags and picked up our new weapons, holding them awkwardly as we walked.

"I suppose we'll need to make some sheaths, now," I said.

Quenlie nodded. "I'll use my prettiest jewels to decorate them. If we add some steel flakes, we can strengthen the swords."

"Good thing they're on our shopping list," I said.

Kalista jogged to catch up with us and squeezed in between our shoulders, patting us both on our backs. "You might've garnered the wrong sort of attention, there."

I frowned at her. "Zoey and Derrick are the saddest but kindest people I've ever met. Picking on them is just cruel. We had to do something."

"Yes, why did you hang back?" Quenlie asked.

Kalista pressed her lips together. "I'm a warrior for Gaia, not Luna and Solar."

I looked away from her, into the middle distance. "I know you're better than that."

She huffed and stopped walking with us. "You wouldn't understand." With that, she turned on her heel and stalked back towards  _ Fullbright Academy _ .

Quenlie's lips twisted. "Do you think this town is becoming..." she trailed off.

"Mmm?" I nudged her with my elbow. When she didn't continue, I finished her sentence for her, "too fanatical?"

She gave me a despairing look and nodded.

"Yes," I said. "All of the goddesses have worth. Gaia isn't the only one who should be worshiped."

"That sounds completely reasonable, but also," she paused, "somewhat heretical."

I was afraid to say more, so I walked with her in silence, watching wisps of hair escape from her coiffure. We passed the factories and laboratories in the industrial part of town, reminders of the sort of alchemy careers we'd have if we couldn't work in the Randalphs' shop. It wouldn't be so bad, I thought, but I was thankful for the privilege I had.

Finally, Kingston Market came into view, a little village of brick and mortar shops, temporary tents, and merchant carts. We strolled through the makeshift aisles, buying flakes of iron, steel, stone, ruby, diamond, and strands of flax, fern, and bark. As we got to the end, our bags full, we came to the post office and deposited each of the mail order packages.

Our work done, we walked back to  _ Randalph's Alchemy _ , the darkmoonstone feeling heavy in my pocket, heavier than my stone sword. When Maximali and Greta greeted us at the door, neither of us spoke of the incident at the Eclipse temple, instead telling them that some teenagers had been fighting in the street.

"We couldn't just stand back and watch," Quenlie said, "so we alchemised these."

Greta touched Quenlie's hat pin sword, then her bare coiffure. "Oh dear. Not your hat pin. Now you've lost your hat."

Quenlie frowned and patted her hair and wig tower. "I'll have to make a new one."

"I admire your bravery, but you two should stay out of trouble," Maximali said, voice gruff. He patted his daughter's shoulder and ushered us inside.

We set down our swords and began work on upgrading and sheathing them in between customer orders. Maximali watched our teamwork with a fond sort of concern as we pored over his manual for the alchemy of weaponry.

We finished our steel swords and bejewelled sheaths before closing time, and admired our handiwork as it glinted in the firelight. Blood red rubies decorated our sheaths like drops of the blood of our enemies, and our blades rang out with a violent song when we clashed them against each other.

"You two!" Greta admonished. "Not inside the shop!"

We lowered our blades and sheathed them sheepishly, looking at each other with barely contained amusement.

"You're both adults, and those are not toys," Maximali said. "Be careful or I'll confiscate them."

"Yes, father." Quenlie sighed, holding her sword primly.

I was sure we didn't cut a particularly fearsome sight, but I set my sword down and busied myself with tidying up the shelves of ingredients and supplies. Outside, the sun was hanging low in the sky, and the white crescent of the moon was imprinted upon the orange glow around it.

"Can I leave you to close up shop?" Maximali asked, though it wasn't a question. "We have tickets to the opera."

"Sure," I said. "Leave it to me. You three have fun."

I continued tidying the shelves as the family bid me goodbye and left the shop.


	2. Demon Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alair meets a sultry shadow demon.

Before closing time, a couple came in looking for matching rings. As I served them and alchemised their family heirloom jewels into the gold bands they chose, I was sure their shadows were moving around of their own volition. The couple seemed unperturbed and harmless, so I tried to ignore the flickering, waving movement splaying across the wooden floor.

After they'd gone, I swept the floor, watching the shadows intently but unable to catch more of that movement. It wasn't until I locked the front doors that it started up again, right in the middle of a bare patch of floor that no shadow had any business occupying. I had to count the money in the cash register three times, because I kept getting distracted by the tendrils of darkness unfurling before my eyes. Either I was going mad, or that shadow was alive.

A pair of sunglasses clattered to the floor, and I jumped. Hesitantly, I walked out into the middle of the shop and picked them up. They had large, slanted, plum tinted lenses, and red gemstones set into the outer edges of the frame. I turned the object over in my hands, then looked around me, trying to spot the moving shadow. Suddenly, the whole shop was cast into darkness, the lamps doing nothing to push the shadows back. Tendrils uncoiled and slithered over to me like snakes, then joined together and formed the shape of a woman.

As I watched, a solid, real woman materialised out of the shadows and stepped towards me. Her skin was charcoal grey, and two large horns poked up out of her black hair. Her eyes were dark, hooded, and framed by long black lashes that gave her a flirty look - or maybe she really was staring at me seductively. I gulped. Her body shifted, tentacles extending out and creeping towards me, then pausing in mid air.

"Hello." She cocked her head. Her voice was low and smooth, with a sly, secretive lilt to it. "I saw you defending the Eclipse worshipers, so I assume you're friendly to outsiders."

My hammering heart slowed a little. She was nervous, too.

"You assumed correctly," I said with a little bow. "What can I do for you?"

"Those glasses," she pointed to the sunglasses in my hand, both with a dainty finger and a winding tentacle, "they fall off my face when I morph. Perhaps you could upgrade them for me."

I nodded, turning them to and fro in my hands. "Let me think. If I alchemise it with something that can morph as easily as you can..." I looked around the tidy shelves of the closed shop.

"You might be hard pressed to find something that can morph quite like I can." She closed the distance between us and placed her cool hand in mine. "So why not just take some of me."

With her hand in mine and her tentacles winding out around me, I blushed at her proposition. My mind went somewhere that had nothing to do with the glasses. She seemed to notice, for her dark eyes flashed with wicked amusement and her thumb stroked over my knuckles. Her black nails raked down the soft side of my hand and I shivered. A spark of inspiration lit up my face, and she burst into a grin.

Taking her long, black nail between my thumb and forefinger, I lifted it into the struggling light of a lamp. "Do you mind if I cut your nails?"

"Not at all." She placed her hand on my workbench while I retrieved my burner, flask, and clippers. With ten snips, I had more than enough matter to melt over the green flame and merge with the glasses. While the mixture simmered, she used the clippers to shape her nails into a pretty set of uniform ovals. The discarded bits of nail, she pulled apart and stretched into curious little tendrils.

The glasses took their new form in my flask and I lifted them out, blowing steam off the lenses. They looked the same as before, but stretched easily when I pulled the two ear pieces apart.

"Great!" she clapped and extended her hands for them.

I gave them to her and watched her put them on. She looked wickedly classy. My mind kept trailing down into the gutter, but she  _ was _ naked and her tentacles were undulating hypnotically. Hardly my fault.

"Much better," she sighed with relief, and the shadows she had brought with her sucked back into her body. She looked at the brightened room through the twinkling dark lenses. As she moved, testing out what the glasses could handle, they stayed admirably on her face.

"Fantastic," she rushed over to me faster than any human could have, and clasped her hands around my wrists. "Thank you so much."

"It was a pleasure," I said, breathless with her face so close to mine, sharp teeth glinting and amorphous hair spreading out around her. I caught a glimpse of her pointed, tapered tongue, and my breath stuttered.

"A pleasure?" She tilted her head and licked over her long canine tooth. "Is this what humans call pleasure?"

"Of a sort." I blushed furiously.

"Are you curious?" She paused tantalisingly. "Do you want to know what passes for pleasure among demons?"

"Yes," I breathed, my stiff posture relaxing into a languid lean towards her. "Come here."

" _ I'm  _ showing  _ you _ ," she said, but she still let me lead her into the store room at the back of the shop.

I lit the one lamp in the room, giving everything a faint orange glow.

"I think I can cope with this level of light," she said, taking off her glasses. She took my hand and pressed it to her lips. "What can I call you?"

"Alair," I said, "Sedrick. Alair Sedrick. But...the last name doesn't really matter."

"I’m Shadar. I don't have a last name at all." She smiled widely.

"No parents?" I asked.

"No. I'm a direct creation from Venestra, herself. Alchemised out of shadows and gory demon bits, probably." She laughed.

I regarded her with new awe. "How old are you?"

"Seven hundred and sixty three." Her eyes glinted. "Honestly, that's not even old, compared to some of the other shadow demons."

"Well, I'm impressed." I took her hands in mine and stared at her charcoal hued skin like she was a magnificent artifact.

"Hmm." She frowned at me. "You're making me feel decidedly less sexy." She cocked her hip.

"I'm sorry." I reached out to smooth my hand down her voluptuous hip and down to her thigh. "You're exquisite in all ways."

She bit her lip and let out a tiny moan. I tickled the back of her thigh with gentle fingertips.

"Especially sexy ways." I brought my free hand up to cup her chin and tilt her lips towards mine.

She released her bottom lip from her teeth, and it glistened with her saliva. I kissed her softly, deepening it with gentle swipes of my lips and my tongue, until her mouth was wide open around my searching tongue.

I cradled the back of her head and walked her backwards to the workbench in the middle of the store room. Her butt hit the table and she squeaked into my mouth, then flowed easily onto the wooden surface. She sat with her legs spread around my hips, and pulled me down until I was bending over her, my hair tickling her cheeks. My silk encased crotch was pressing against her naked pussy, and she gave a little rock of her hips so I could really feel it. I groaned and bucked against her.

Looking down between our bodies, I could see she was leaking onto my trousers and creating a little damp patch. I was sure I was dampening them from the inside, too.

"Oh dear," she cooed and trailed a blunt nail down the front of my jacket and to my straining, tented trousers. "I'm ruining your lovely silk."

"Then," I pecked her lips, "I'll just have to take them off."

I pushed them down my hips, along with my underwear, and freed my hard and swollen cock from its prison. It sprung up, unrestrained, and nudged the lower hem of my jacket.

"This, too," she said as she unbuttoned my jacket and pulled it off my shoulders. She pulled my blouse up over my head, and each item rumpled to the stone floor. "Ooh." She smoothed her hands down my naked chest and abs. "I like 'em a bit skinny."

"Hah." I blushed and pressed my body against hers, feeling her large breasts and soft, flat stomach. The head of my cock brushed over her labia and she let out an animalistic little growl.

"Yes, mmh!" She tilted her hips so I was pressing into her clitoris, and spread her legs wide over the table.

"You're flexible." I smoothed my palms up the backs of her thighs, pressing her more firmly down.

"Oh, you have no idea." She laughed and lay her thighs flat on the table, knees by her shoulders.

"What else can this body do?" I wondered, trailing my fingertip around her puffy, dark areola.

"You like these?" She squeezed her breasts together, giving herself amazing cleavage. "You want more?"

I licked over a nipple and nodded.

Her nipple swelled into twice its size, even as I lapped at it. I took it into my mouth and groaned, raking my teeth over the areola.

She squealed and arched under me. "You can bite."

So I did, just a little nip that made her jolt and buck up into my cock. I leaned up, a line of saliva connecting my lips to her nipple, and watched her dark skin flush red. She arched her back more and rocked her hips in a lazy rhythm, her labia almost sandwiching the underside of my cock. Before my eyes, her breasts swelled impossibly huge, surely too large for her frame to handle. I squeezed them against her ribcage and they were so soft and smooth. I groaned, cock twitching against her.

"Yeah," she whined. "You like that, huh?"

"Uhuh." I nosed against her cleavage and thumbed over a nipple. I sucked her flesh between my teeth and gave a little squeeze, making her gasp beautifully.

"Ah! Human teeth are so cute." She poked a finger in past my lips and over my little canine tooth.

I released her breast from my mouth and snapped at her finger. She pulled away, giggling.

"So." I paused, looking around us. The containers on the shelves seemed to watch us, like spies sent by Maximali. "You had some tentacles, before."

"Ooh." Her face lit up and she extended numerous tentacles of various thicknesses out around us.

They converged on me and slid down my back, between my thighs, under my balls, and around my cock. My jaw dropped and my eyes rolled back as I shuddered.

"Nnn," she moaned, and her tentacles pressed me down and into her.

I bucked into the tight coil around my cock, nudging her up the table, and she squeaked. She wrapped her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck. I felt down between her legs to her slick labia, and pressed a finger inside her warm pussy. She squeezed around me and I groaned.

"Nnh!" She threw her head back. "Get inside me."

The tentacles around my cock unfurled, giving me enough room to rock forward and line the head up with her pussy. Spreading her open with my wet finger, I pushed inside. Her entrance was tight, giving way to spongy warmth and flexing pelvic muscles. I groaned loud and pressed all the way in, my hips flush against her inner thighs.

"Fucking  _ yes _ ," she moaned and rocked her hips, already ready and desperate for friction.

I pulled out of her and rocked back in, jostling her body and jiggling her huge breasts. She worked her hips to bring us back together with a slap of skin on skin. I moaned against her lips. As I pumped in and out of her, speeding up exponentially, her tentacles massaged my balls, my hips, and the small of my back. They found a really good spot that made me shiver and stutter inside her. I pressed my hands up behind her knees and used her thighs as leverage to really pound into her, hard and fast. White hot pleasure built between us. Our breath was hot on our faces as we moaned into the empty shop.

She came with a rolling wave of muscle clenches, and her whole body trembled and seized up. "Fuck! Oh no, I'm gonna! I'm gonna!"

Her body lost its solid form and she flopped in a gooey mess over the table top. I came into her, my seed mixing with the charcoal grey substance that made up her amorphous body.

"Shit..." I picked up the floppy limb that was her arm.

She shook herself together and wriggled against me, her pussy still clenching around my cock. "Sorry." She hunched and winced. "I guess you fucked me too good."

"That's quite alright." I laughed shakily and pressed my nose into hers.

As I drew my soft cock out of her, she reached forward and enclosed it in her fist. I saw stars, still way too sensitive.

"Fuck! Not yet!" I gasped.

"Please, more," she whined and slid her thumb under my foreskin.

I shuddered and stepped away from her, making her lose her mind-bending grip. "In a moment. Wow." I pressed the heel of my palm against my forehead.

"Ohh, but I love it when I'm way too sensitive and the slightest touch makes me crazy." She rubbed her thighs together, still bent in half. I could see her red and dripping pussy between them.

"Okay," I pulled her knees apart and stepped between them again, crouching down. "No need to drive  _ me _ crazy."

I fastened my lips over her pussy and licked her sloppy clit, then sucked it into my mouth. I could taste myself all over her and I groaned, the sound vibrating against her excited flesh. Giving her a messy lick from taint to clit, I rose up and regarded her flushed and wrecked face.

"You think Venestra will want this?" I murmured.

"Yeah." She flexed her hips and her pussy twitched as she clenched. "Oh, Goddess, take my filthy body!"

I leaned down again and whispered a prayer against her pussy, "Goddess Venestra, I give you my strength, I give you my orgasm, I give you my seed."

I pulled Shadar's labia apart and licked between them, dipping deep inside her. My cum was gone. I groaned at the thought of Venestra taking our fluid. Shadar moaned, too, pressing her hands into the back of my head and forcing my mouth flush against her pussy. Licking deep, I tasted her sweet flesh and slicked her walls with my saliva. The root of my tongue ached as I reached deeper and deeper.

Drawing back out, I licked up to her clit and sucked sloppily at it. The bud of nerves throbbed hot against my tongue. When I lifted my head, it was swollen and large, no longer fitting under its hood. I gave it one last lick, then stood up again.

My cock was thick and hard again, and dripping precome onto the stone floor of the storeroom. I swiped the head against Shadar's clit. She moaned and reached out with a tentacle to rub against my slit. My eyes rolled back for a moment and a deep moan rose out of my chest. She laughed with wicked glee and pulled me into her, tendrils sliding inside her pussy and taking my cock with them.

Once I was fully seated, I wasted no time before rocking my hips back and slamming hard into her. She moaned loud and threw her arms up over her face, while her tentacles continued to grope me, both from within her pussy and over my sweaty legs and back. We bucked faster, faster, and moaned louder, louder, until-

"Get that demon out of my shop!" Maximali's roar jolted us out of our impassioned frenzy.

I looked over my shoulder to see him brandishing a fireplace poker. Before I could react, the sharp end came swinging down over my back, and I cried out in pain. I covered Shadar with my body.

She clutched my face, whispered, "I'm sorry!" and disappeared in a flutter of shadow.

Maximali went running out into the main room of the shop, chasing the shadow out into the cold night air, while I hurriedly pulled my pants and blouse back on.

Greta and Quenlie were standing in the doorway, Greta with a look of disgust and Quenlie with pink cheeked fear. I picked up my jacket and my sword. All three members of the family chased after me as I ran out of the shop and towards their mansion.

I made a beeline for my bedroom in the servants' quarters and started throwing my belongings into a bag. The narrow room felt oppressive and small for the first time in my life, like the walls were bearing down on me.

As I pulled some clothes into my bag, Maximali yelled, "Whose clothes are those? Those are not yours. I paid for all of them!"

I paused, eyes wide as I stared at all the fabric in every fashionable colour the shops sold.

Quenlie cried out, "That outfit was a gift from me! Alair owns that blue jacket set!"

"Stay out of this," Maximali growled, but didn't protest when I put the aforementioned outfit into the bag.

With those new rules, I didn't actually own much. I shoved my possessions into my bag: my alchemy tools; a handful of books; a magical game that bounces a ball within a wooden frame; a toothbrush but no toothpaste; a photo of my parents; a locket that belonged to my mother; and my inhaler.

And with that, I was pushed unceremoniously out onto the side of the road in front of the Randalps' mansion.

I walked through the dark suburban streets, watching within the glowing pools of light cast by the lamps lining the road for a flicker of shadow. My skin felt numb. My heart felt numb.

I passed  _ Fullbright Academy _ and briefly considered going to Kalista for help, but remembered her apathy when the Eclipse worshipers were being bullied, and shook my head, continuing down the road.

When I got to the temple, I thought I would probably sleep there, but I was hungry, so I continued on to Kingston Market to see if I could trade some of my belongings for food. That was the problem with earning no wage and having anything I wanted bought by the rich family. It had seemed like a good deal at the time. It had been my only option, and I had been young.

When I got to Kingston Market, I looked in the windows of a restaurant, smelling the roast meat, vegetables, and bread wafting into the cold air. The golden lights made it look so warm inside. A shadow moved unnaturally by the kitchen, and I gave a start. I stared through the window and tried to find it again. Before I did, there was a tap on my shoulder.

I whirled around, heart hammering. Shadar was standing there, holding a bag over one shoulder and a bread roll filled with chicken and beans in her other hand. She held them out to me, and I took them with a quiet yelp of joy.

Inside the bag was an assortment of supplies, no doubt stolen from Randalph’s Alchemy. She’d even packed some oil refill cartridges for my alchemist’s burner. However, the most pressing thing she’d brought me was the bun.

I munched on the delicious, hearty food as we walked back up the road. Though I was walking with a literal shadow demon, the night seemed brighter.

She was quiet for a while, before finally speaking up, "I'm sorry I got you kicked out."

I swallowed my mouthful. "Not your fault."

"I shouldn't have begged for that second round." She frowned, looking truly miserable.

"Please don't blame yourself. You were amazing and I was careless," I said and took another bite.

"If you don't have anywhere to go, I know somewhere." She looked up at the sky, where the moon was watching us.

I gulped down my mouthful. "I was going to try the Eclipse temple, but...if you know a better place."

"Well," she twisted her tentacles together, "it's in Deep."

"Deep," I repeated, somehow shocked, though I should have expected it.

"Yeah, my friend lives near the portal. You'd like each other." She smirked.

"What would I do in Deep? Would you be able to get me a job?" I asked, wondering what kinds of careers demons had.

"You could help me with mine." She pursed her lips. "I need to find Venestra and give her my intel. That's my job. I'm a spy for her."

My eyes widened. "Were you spying on me?"

"Just Earth in general." She spread her hands. "You stand out because you're one of the non fanatical Gaia fans. Venestra needs to know what's going on here."

"Will you tell her about the demons coming to Earth and causing trouble?" I tried not to sound accusatory.

"Hmm." She pressed her fingers to her temple. "I didn't actually see any of that. Heard all the rumours, but saw no actual evidence. I looked, I really did."

I nodded. "That's interesting. I wonder where Eve fought those demons."

We both looked at the clocktower rising up before us, just a little way up the road.  _ Fullbright Academy _ looked so sturdy and sure, like it had been on that clifftop for all of time.

"We shouldn't go too near there," I said. "The warriors won't take too kindly to you."

"But that's where the portal is," Shadar said.

"Uh, I was hoping you knew of another one." I winced.

"The next closest one's two days' walk from here, and it's at the bottom of a lake." She laughed. "It'll be fine. I'm stealthy, remember?"

"Okay." I gazed out at the cliff face and swallowed thickly. "What if I fall?"

"Ohh." She squeezed an arm around me. "Are you scared of heights?"

"About as much as any normal person. Especially considering I don't have any tentacles." I examined my hands. They were large, but weren't used to rock climbing.

"I'll help you." She wiggled a tentacle at me.

I considered for a moment. "Okay. What have I got to lose?"

"Yay!" She clapped her hands.

We walked to the cliff's edge, just outside the wrought iron fence and brick wall hemming in the buildings of  _ Fullbright Academy _ . As we looked over the side, I tried not to shiver. In the cliff face, about half way down and a good twenty metres above the rocks and surf below, was a green glowing oval just big enough for a tall person to step through. I thought it matched the green flame of alchemy rather well. The Goddesses must have designed it that way. Leading down to the portal were some crude footholds. They looked like they wouldn't hold much more than my toes and the tips of my fingers.

"Don't be scared," Shadar said.

I stood up straight and stepped back, giving her my best smile. "I'm not."

Before she could tease me, a trundling, rumbling sound came from behind us, like wheels on gravel. We turned to see a figure jogging towards us with a wheeled bag dragging along behind them. That puffy skirt looked like something Quenlie would wear.

I gasped and started running towards her. When we got to each other, we laughed and hugged.

"My parents are awful," she said as she squeezed me. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" I pulled away from her and held her at arm's length.

"They deserve to have their daughter run away from them, after what they've done. I'm just meting out justice." She had a defiant pout on her lips that was way too adorable.

I smiled and shook my head. "I can't let you follow me. I'm going to Deep."

"Deep?" she squeaked.

Shadar stepped up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's not as dangerous as you think."

"Isn't it full of fire and sadists?" Quenlie's voice was hushed.

Shadar laughed, "I'll lead you around those bits. I know a lovely masochist if you'd rather that."

Quenlie's cheeks went pink and her lips pressed together.

"Your friend with the house?" I asked.

"She's got a whole farm, and her parents won't kick you out for wild sex parties." Shadar grinned.

I snorted. "Okay. Maybe she can give me a job on the farm."

"After you've helped me find Venestra," she said.

"Shouldn't you, of all people, know where she is?" I tilted my head.

"You'd think so, but I haven't seen or heard from her in decades." She frowned, brow furrowing.

"Oh dear! A missing goddess?" Quenlie gasped. "We have to help her."

"You're not afraid of Venestra?" I asked.

"Oh. I certainly am, but I'd also love to meet her. How many other people can say they've met a goddess in person?" Quenlie grasped my hands.

"Okay, then let's do this quick," I said, looking back up at the Fullbright clocktower. "I don't want to get caught by fanatical warriors."

So we walked to the edge of the cliff and found the first footholds, rubber stones nailed into the rock. Shadar wrapped a tentacle around a sturdy rock at the top, and used it as a climbing rope, stretching it over the edge of the cliff. I went first, gripping her tentacle with white knuckles and planting my feet on each foothold, toes curling into the shape of the rock. She was right at my back, and the rock face was right in front of me. I felt hemmed in and safe, though I could hear the waves dashing themselves against the rocks below.

When we got to the portal, I hesitated, last chance to change my mind and try getting a factory job two towns over, hoping no one had heard what a heathen I was. No. I jumped through the green oval of light and rolled onto the rocky ground beyond it.


	3. Into Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadar leads Alair and Quenlie into the Deep dimension, where they meet her masochistic friend.

I was surrounded by craggy red rock, horizontally and vertically. I stared in wonder at the canyon I was in, accompanied only by the glowing portal that could lead me back home. The sky above was dark burgundy, but lit up by a familiar pattern of stars. The moon, too, was the same crescent shape as it was back home.

A ruffled, lacy person tumbled through the portal, and I caught her in my arms. Quenlie looked up at me, a giddy look in her wide eyes, and laughed.

As I helped her upright and dusted her pretty dress off, Shadar came through with our bags.

"Thank you," I said, taking Quenlie's wheeled suitcase and letting her take my smaller bag.

"Thank  _ you _ for coming with me," Shadar inclined her head. "There's still a bit of a climb left, this time without footholds, but don't worry. I know the easiest path."

I looked up at the walls of the canyon, stretching high into the sky at a shear angle, and said, "I sure hope you do."

She laughed. "Just follow me."

She linked arms with both Quenlie and I and led us along the rocky landscape. At first, I thought that only red dust made its home here, but I soon began to see unfamiliar plants winding through the rock, thorny and black. I steered clear of them.

By the time we reached the vertical wall, our shoes were dusty and there was red caked into the little holes of our lace trimmings. It gave Quenlie an interesting edge, though she was perturbed by the dirt.

"Does your friend have a laundry?" she asked.

Shadar laughed and said, "Of a sort. It's a bit different to the kind you're used to."

"I can't imagine," Quenlie said. "How else would you clean clothes, other than submerging them in sudsy water and rubbing them on a washboard?"

Shadar's laughter went up an octave. "I'm gonna rock your world, honey."

Quenlie squeaked and clasped her hands together.

"Honey. It suits you," I said, regarding Quenlie's warm brown skin and golden hair. Even her eyes had flecks of golden light in them.

She blushed and pressed a dusty hand to her cheek, leaving red fingerprints behind. I chuckled and wiped them off with my thumb, and she laughed airily and ducked her head.

"Are you two an item?" Shadar pointed from Quenlie to me and back again.

We both let out nervous laughter, and I felt my face get hot. Crap. I didn't want Shadar to get the wrong idea.

"Of a sort," Quenlie said. "Don't worry. I'm not jealous. Well, maybe a bit jealous. Your tentacles look fun."

Shadar smirked and wrapped a tentacle around her corseted waist. "Just wait 'till we get to Elser's house."

I ran a shaky hand through my hair and blew steam out between my lips. Phew. This was going better than I could ever have imagined.

Shadar led us up a winding path in the rock, between narrow walls hewn into the canyon. We each held on to a tentacle, and more tentacles grabbed hold of the rock around us. Lastly, two tentacles dragged Quenlie's wheely suitcase with my bag sitting on top. I decided I was going to stick with Shadar, no matter how dangerous her journey became. Danger with her seemed safer than tranquility on my own.

We climbed over the edge of the canyon and all sat on top of Quenlie's suitcase, resting and wiping sweaty red dust off our faces while staring out at the flat landscape before us. Almost as far as the eye could see were rows of neatly farmed plants. In the far distance, I could see dark mountains popping up over the flat horizon.

Shadar pointed to our left and said, "There's Elser's house."

Sure enough, a little farm cottage made of red bricks was sitting among the fields. It looked cute and nonthreatening, and only about fifteen minutes' walk away.

So off we set, walking down a pathway between two fields of different plants, one winding vines taller than us, and the other leafy shrubs that came up to my hips. They rustled with scurrying life, and Quenlie jumped, clutching the pearl pommel of her sword.

Shadar stilled and held her hands out for us to stop. Her pointed ears twitched and her glasses gleamed on top of her head in the moonlight. Little creatures scurried over our path. In the darkness, I could just make out their long tails and wiry fur.

"They're running from something, presumably worse than us," Shadar whispered, then beckoned for us to walk quickly.

Our footsteps seemed to crunch extra loudly on the gravel path as we hurried along, and the rustling through the shrubs got louder and closer. Soon, we could hear the thud of galloping footsteps, then they halted and something sniffed the air. Again, the footsteps came closer, slower this time.

A horned and fanged face emerged from the shrubs, small but vicious looking, its saliva gleaming in the moonlight. It leaped up towards Quenlie's tall hairpiece and she shrieked, lashing out with her sword. It fell back, bleeding, and she gasped, dropping her sword.

"I'm sorry, creature! Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Her voice was loud and warbling.

"Shhh!" Shadar hissed. "Better it than you. It'll eat your face right off, if you let it."

Even now that it was sprawled and wounded, it continued to snarl at us and lash out with clawed paws. It was making a lot of guttural noises and its cut was bleeding out fast. I wrinkled my nose and sliced my own blade through its neck to put it out of its misery.

"Oh no," Quenlie whispered with a hiccupping sob.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and made to lead her on down the path, when another of the things leaped out of the shrubbery and landed right on top of her hair. She shrieked and tossed her head to and fro while it clung on. Stilling, she got into a crouch and I swung my blade at the creature. It jumped back and scurried into the vine field.

"Get back, you fucking pests!" An unfamiliar voice yelled, running footsteps getting nearer.

There was a loud zap and a flash of light, then a yelp, and the scurrying retreated.

"Elser!" Shadar called out, jumping up and waving with three tentacles.

A petite but muscular demon came lolloping down the path, waving two oblong contraptions connected by wires. She clacked them together and another zap tore across the sky, making Quenlie and I jump.

"Don't worry; I'm not aiming for ya." She winked and pointed one of the contraptions at me.

When she got to us, she stopped and put the contraptions into a little pocket on her belt. She had two little horns poking out of her black hair, the same deep red as the rest of her skin, and a long and pointed tail. Her eyes were bright red and glowed in the nighttime gloom. Nodding at our swords, she said, "Cool human weapons."

We sheathed them and I said with a nervous laugh, "Thanks. I'm Alair and this is Quenlie."

"Charmed." She curtsied and gave us a saucy look. "What brings you following Shadar out here?"

"They're going to help me find Venestra. I kind of got them thrown out of their home." Shadar looked sheepish.

"Ooh, heathenous humans." Elser wiggled her fingers at us. "My favourite kind."

"You must meet a few people from foreign dimensions, living out here," I said.

She nodded. "And most of the humans aren't as polite as you are."

She led us down the path towards her house, while my mind raced over what she was telling us.

"The last lot that came through that there portal were super aggressive. Me and the parents had to set up our high voltage repellents all around the farm's perimeter. Once they left, we took them down. It's not worth the electricity to keep them running continuously."

"Electricity?" Quenlie asked. "That's demon magic, right?"

"I dunno if magic is the right word," Elser said, looking over her shoulder at her. "Like, is fire magic? Is alchemy magic?"

"Okay," Quenlie nodded slowly.

"It's like lightning," Shadar said, making zig zag patterns with her tentacles in the sky.

"Lightning  _ is _ electricity," Elser clarified.

"Oh! It's like when we put lightning rods in the clock towers to make them tick on their own," I said.

"Yeah, now imagine if  _ all  _ of your technology was powered by that stuff." Elser waved her hands in the air in animated gesticulations.

"Amazing," I said.

Quenlie agreed with a, "Brilliant."

"Too bad Gaia doesn't send spies into the other dimensions to bring back information that would benefit Earth." Elser looked at Shadar, who blushed. "Otherwise, you'd already know about electricity. Instead, she just sends assassins."

My eyes widened in alarm. "Are you serious?"

"Ohh, if anyone's gonna know about it, it's me," Elser said.

We reached her warmly lit house, strung with tiny little lights around the eaves, giving it an extra otherworldly feel. Pot plants sat on either side of the doorstep and under the shuttered windows. Light spilled out between the slats of - well, it wasn't wood, something less flammable, probably.

Elser led us inside, where bright lights were already lit and shining from sockets in the ceiling. They were brighter than fire lamps and much more compact, though the room was still shrouded with the darkness of Deep. I stared at them until my eyes protested with bright spots of pain. I scrunched my eyes closed and Elser chuckled.

"Yeah, don't stare at them like that. They're much brighter than fire."

"Noted," I said, massaging under my brow.

She gestured for us to sit on black leather couches, which sat in front of a black, flat, and oblong contraption. It had buttons on the front, lower right hand side, and I felt an urge to press them, but kept my hands on my dusty red knees, instead.

Elser wandered into a kitchen connected to the lounge room and hummed as she made tea. I recognised that process, even though her kettle was different to those in Earth.

The tea she brought back was sweet and a little spicy, unlike any tea I'd ever had before.

"So, you're going looking for Venestra?" She sat next to me on the couch and leaned into my side. "I heard talk of her in Derrid. I can drive you there."

"Oh, you have horses?" Quenlie perked up, sipping from her teacup daintily.

Elser pressed her lips together in ill suppressed amusement.

"Horses in Deep aren't as docile as the ones in Earth," Shadar said. She held her teacup with a deft tentacle.

"I'm gonna blow your minds." Elser grinned and smacked her lean, muscular thigh, which her leather shorts revealed most of. Her pointed tongue licked over her top teeth and a wild gleam caught in her eyes.

She moved to straddle my thighs and slid her hands down the front of my jacket, the buttons clinking.

"This is sexy, but aren't you hot in it?" She arched her back, leather clad breasts bumping against my chest, and bare midriff flexing.

"I am, now." I chuckled and nudged my nose against hers. "How was it you were going to blow my mind, now?"

"Mmm, lots of ways." She licked over my lips and wound her arms around my neck. "I'm gonna put you in my dungeon."

My breath faltered and Quenlie let out a little squeak beside us. She placed her hand on Elser's chest and pushed her back.

Elser just pressed her breasts against Quenlie's hand and rolled her body. "Don't worry, darling. You'll have fun, too."

"It's a sex dungeon." Shadar slid in on my other side and wound her tentacles around me and under my clothes. "Elser likes it rough."

Elser nodded, biting her lip.

"I see." I took her by the hips and stood up, lifting her as I went.

She clung on, legs wrapped around my waist and arms around my neck. Lucky she was so petite.

Shadar led the way, dragging at my cuffs with her tentacles, while Quenlie clopped hurriedly behind me. Elser pressed her lips to my neck and let out a hot breath that made my bones shiver.

We entered a small, empty room, and I thought it was the dungeon, but Shadar pressed a button on the wall and the whole thing began to move, shunting us downwards. When we stilled, the doors opened again and Shadar led us out into a much larger room with a myriad of toys and tools lining the stone walls.

A pair of leather cuffs decorated with jewels were chained to the wall, and Quenlie hurried over to inspect them. Shadar slid behind her and peered over her shoulder.

"You like those, honey?" Her form shifted and moulded to Quenlie's back.

Quenlie nodded and let out a little moan, pressing her hand into her petticoat. I groaned at the sight of them together and lay Elser's back against the wall beside them. The bulge in my trousers rubbed over her leather clad groin.

"Let's keep your corset on," Elser said, reaching out to trail a hand down Quenlie's waist.

Quenlie hesitated, clutching the cuffs to her chest, and looked to me. "You'll look after me if I faint?"

"Of course." I nodded. "But if y-"

"Okay." She surprised me with the conviction in her eyes. "I'll leave it on."

She began pulling her blouse out from under her corset, the delicate fabric bunching up in her hands. Her breasts came into view, and I felt Elser sigh against me. Shadar worked on Quenlie's skirt and petticoat, and they fell in a puffy circle around her ankles, revealing her bloomers.

Elser blinked rapidly. "You're wearing shorts under your skirts? Why so many layers?"

"They're not shorts - they're underwear." Quenlie blushed and looked down at them self consciously.

Elser chuckled. "We have very different definitions of the word underwear."

She unhooked her legs from around my waist and I let her feet back on the floor. Shimmying out of her tight leather shorts, she revealed a stringy, lacy, and black garment that barely covered her pubic mound and dipped right in between her ass cheeks.

"Wow." Quenlie and I both reached out to touch the thin strips of lace at her hips, and she wriggled in between us.

She undid her little leather top to reveal a matching bra. Her dark red nipples were visible through the black lace. Now that she was almost naked, I could see that her red skin was peppered with little pink scars. After doing a twirl for us, she wrapped her arms back around me and bit the lace ruffles at my neck.

"Now, wasn't I about to undress  _ you _ ?"

I chuckled and helped her unbutton my jacket and take off my shirt. Shadar pulled my trousers down while Quenlie watched, fiddling with the gem encrusted cuffs. She looked at me like she was seeing me anew.

"Ooh!" Elser cooed, tapping a finger to the tip of my erect cock and making me jolt. "Nice proportions."

"Mmm, isn't he delicious?" Shadar slid her tentacles over my body and my moan echoed in the windowless room.

Elser looked from me to Shadar to Quenlie, tapping her chin, then said, "Honey, you're going to be cuffed and helpless over here." She pointed to where the chains connected to the wall. "Helpless and untouched, but! you get to tell us what to do and we  _ have _ to obey."

"Yes," Quenlie quickly agreed.

I exhaled shakily, "Oh, wow. Yeah."

"I'm game." Shadar smiled wickedly.

She curled around Quenlie and fastened her wrists within the cuffs, while using her tentacles to pull her bloomers down. My pelvis warmed at the sight of Quenlie's blonde pubic mound and the glistening glimpse of her labia. Her hips squirmed under her corset and she pulled at her restraints, testing out her range of movement.

She looked down at herself, then at me. "Do I look good?"

I huffed and smiled. "Always. Yes. Especially now."

Her charming smile bloomed on her lips and she rubbed her thighs together.

"What's your first decree, honey?" Elser's tail flicked out to stroke her thigh.

"Ah, first...check Alair's back." Quenlie looked at me ruefully.

I turned around and looked over my shoulder, but couldn't see where Maximali had struck me. "I don't even feel it. I guess adrenaline is the best pain relief."

Shadar hissed. "It's gonna bruise pretty bad."

"Can I touch it?" Elser whispered.

I nodded. Her fingertips gently brushed over my skin, then pressed in.

"Ow. Okay, that hurt."

"Sorry!" She didn't sound sorry. "Let me get some ointment." She walked over to one of the shelves lining the brick walls and found a little shiny tube. Approaching me again, she squeezed a little of the clear gel onto her fingertips and massaged it into my skin. I instantly felt my muscles relax. My nerves almost sang with joy at the feeling.

"Hey, that's nice. Can I have a full body massage?"

Elser turned to Quenlie, who considered this for a moment, then nodded. "But don't touch his member until I say so."

I shivered, beginning to realise what I'd gotten myself into.

"Alair's going to be a good boy and wait," Elser sang, pulling a cushioned table out into the middle of the room.

I helped her position it, then let her push me onto it, face down. My hands fidgeted under my thighs.

"Straddle him." Quenlie nodded to Elser.

She obeyed, spreading her legs over my thighs. I could feel the damp triangle of lace over her groin pressing into my ass.

"Shadar," Quenlie said, "you stand beside them and reach out with all of your tentacles."

"All of them?" Shadar said with wicked pride, unleashing a whole swarm of them upon me and kneading my flesh. Some wound around my limbs, while others rubbed and pressed at me with their dexterous heads.

"He feels especially good when you rub the small of his back," Quenlie said and bit her lip. Her hips were cocked backwards, ass pressing into the brick wall behind her.

"Ooh." Elser's knuckles dove for the spot, pinning me down and pressing my cock against the cushions beneath me.

I moaned loud and my leg shook under Elser's thigh. "Fuck." I pressed my forehead down and clutched the sides of the table.

"No." Quenlie's voice rang out, and the kneading stopped. "Flip him, and  _ don't touch his member. _ "

My body was flipped over by four hands and numerous tentacles before I knew what was happening. Elser now straddled me just below my balls, hands splayed either side of my groin. I twitched as she stared down at me, pointed tongue sticking out between her fangs.

Shadar trailed a tentacle down between my pecs; it flowed smooth like liquid and tickled where it went. I rolled my shoulders and stared back at the two demons with what I hoped was a seductive expression. Shadar bared her fangs, lips twitching playfully, and Elser rocked her hips so close to my cock. I reached out and hooked my fingers in her panties, pulling them down her hips.

"Ah! Did I say you could do that?" Quenlie sounded like an imperious queen.

I twitched and closed my eyes, shaking my head.

"Elser, rub yourself  _ over the lace, _ " Quenlie said.

Elser moaned and slid two fingers down her body to rub them in circles over her pubic mound, right over her clit. One of her fangs dented her bottom lip and she gazed at me through heavily lidded eyes. I swallowed thickly and my fingers twitched with the desire to touch her.

"Shadar, pull her underwear up into her - her..." came Quenlie's hesitant command.

Shadar groaned with delight and did as she was told, a tentacle hooking into the strap that fitted between Elser's ass cheeks and tugging up. The lace triangle was pulled up in between her labia, making her squeal.

Quenlie moaned, and I looked over to see fluid dripping from between her legs, down her thighs, and a splat on the stone floor below.

"Fuck," I groaned and writhed as though I was the one restrained.

Shadar gave me an approving look, and I flushed. I didn't know whether I wanted her to tell me I was good or bad. My jaw ached with wanting as my gaze slipped down to her breasts, at their normal size, though that was still quite large.

"Can I kiss their breasts?" I asked, looking over at Quenlie.

She had fallen to her knees, with her arms restrained up over her head, dangling there like the prettiest doll. Her breasts sat over her corset, lifted slightly and nipples pointing at an upwards diagonal. I wanted to kiss them, too. She wriggled a bit and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. "Okay." She sounded so sweet that I wasn't expecting what came next. "Smother him."

The pair of demons dove for my face, pressing their breasts against my mouth and into each other. I laved my tongue over Shadar's large, puffy nipple and Elser's pert little nipple. I gasped at every chance of breath that I got, while my hands twisted by my sides, desperate to touch. I succumbed, cupping a breast each. Elser gasped and drew back, but I caught her nipple between my teeth and gently tugged. She moaned so loud, pressed her breast back into my face, and began rutting against my waist. Her ass bumped my cock and I gasped, releasing her nipple.

"Excuse me?" Quenlie's voice cut through our moans.

We froze, and Shadar pried us apart with her tentacles.

"What am I doing here if you're just going to go wild? I thought this was a show for me." Quenlie blew hot air out of her nostrils.

Elser sat up, ducking her head and looking extremely contrite. She fluttered her eyelashes and whined. "Oh, honey, what are you going to do? Are you going to punish me?"

"I could give her a spanking." Shadar whipped out with one of her tentacles and struck Elser's thigh.

Elser convulsed and moaned, back arching as she fell forward to bury her face in my neck, her ass up in the air.

"I was going to let her have Alair's cock, but I don't think she deserves it," Quenlie said.

I moaned with disappointment and looked at her pleadingly.

She pouted at me and continued, nodding her head at the shelves to her left, "There are plenty of things over there she can have inside her." 

Elser pressed her fingertips to her lips and said, "Thank you, honey."

Shadar walked over to the shelves and grabbed about six toys, holding each with a tentacle. She took them over to Quenlie and let her inspect each one.

"I want two of them," Elser whined.

Quenlie shot her a look, and Shadar said, "Don't push it, baby."

We all looked at Quenlie expectantly, and she smiled like a benevolent queen. "You can have three."

Elser quivered over me, her tail pinging out straight and then slackening.

Quenlie nodded to each of the toys she had chosen, and Shadar brought them over to us. A little pink toy with an egg shaped end and a concave end, curved so that they would pinch Elser over her pubic bone, giving her stimulation inside and out. I watched, fascinated as Shadar slid the egg shaped end into Elser's wet pussy and fitted the concave end over her clit. She pressed the side and it started buzzing and vibrating while suctioning. Elser moaned, her head hanging down and her black hair tickling my chest.

Quenlie squeaked. "Oh, Gaia! I didn't know it would do that."

Shadar laughed and pressed it again, and the vibration intensified, making Elser shriek. She smacked her ass. "This is only the beginning, baby."

"Mmm, good, more," Elser moaned into my chest.

In this position, I was mostly getting a view of her back curving upwards and her ass in the air. I sat up a little and said, "Could I get a better view, please?" I gave Quenlie a winsome smile.

She giggled. "Sure. You can even put the next one in."

"Thank you, goddess of the sex dungeon." I wrapped my arms around Elser and rolled us over, so she was on her back and I was on top of her, between her trembling legs. My cock nudged her pelvis and leaked precome onto her pretty red skin. I pressed her thighs into the table, folding her in half, and lined my cock up with her pussy. Before anyone could scold me, I pushed in next to the toy. The vibrations and pressure were wild; I nearly blew my load right away, but managed to calm my pelvis with a shudder.

"Alair!" Quenlie whined. "That's not fair. You were supposed to use the big black one."

"Don't worry, honey, I'll do you, next." I licked a stripe up Elser's neck while staring at Quenlie.

Shadar cackled and strode over to her, smacking my ass as she went. I jolted and bucked inside Elser, making us both moan.

"The bad boy doesn't get the princess." Shadar slipped in behind Quenlie like the shadow she was. "I'm going to make you watch while I do things you only wish you could do."

She coiled her tentacles around Quenlie's breasts and under her corset, making her squeal and writhe. Two tentacles seemed to open their mouths and clamp onto her nipples. Quenlie's jaw went slack and she whimpered. Shadar lifted her thighs and spread them, cradling her in a swarm of tentacles and giving us a great view of her pussy and asshole. I groaned and my hips twitched of their own accord.

Elser whimpered, “Make it hurt.”

I hesitated, staring down into her desperate, pleading eyes. She wanted it so bad. So I gave it to her, pulling out and then slamming back in with as much force as I dared. Her moan was delicious; I had to kiss her and swallow the beautiful sounds she was making. I clicked the side of the toy, as Shadar had done, and it vibrated even harder, fraying my nerves and making me bite Elser's lip. She sobbed into my mouth and writhed under my hips. I pressed my thumbs hard into her nipples and dug my nails into her sides. Squeezing me tight, she flooded my cock with wet warmth. I thrust through her orgasm, breaking our kiss, and she screamed, her voice turning rough and ragged.

From beside us, I could hear Quenlie moaning. I turned Elser's cheek to make her watch with me, while continuing to buck into her with unrelenting pace. Quenlie's labia were being pulled apart by two tentacles while a third swirled over her clit and a fourth lapped at her rim. She looked at me with hazy eyes and my pelvis flinched. Before I could stop myself, I was shooting a hot load of cum into Elser's clenching pussy.

The petite demon beneath me tossed her head and wrapped her tail around my thigh, tears streaming down the sides of her face. "Give it to me; give it to me; give me all your fucking cum and don't you dare give it to any goddess."

My cum began to leak out around my softening cock, and I pulled out, watching it splurt out onto the table. It seemed like such a waste, but it looked so good. Elser dipped her finger in the mess and licked it up with her pointed tongue, while keeping eye contact with me.

Quenlie and Shadar were moaning in unison, and I looked over to see that a double ended tentacle was pistoning in and out of them, from one pussy to the other. Goosebumps flooded Quenlie's pelvis, and I knew it was all over for her, then. Her eyes rolled back and her moans turned silent. A lock of hair fell down over her face and got caught in her drool. Shadar brushed it back and kissed her cheek, moaning in an altogether more composed way.


	4. Horsepower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elser introduces Alair and Quenlie to her sports car.

Elser, Shadar, and I cleaned up the sex dungeon while Quenlie massaged life back into her arms and ribs. She had red marks on her wrists and torso, but assured me she was fine when I asked if she was okay.

"I wouldn't cope with this every night, but once and awhile is good." She smiled at me sweetly and pecked my cheek.

Elser's soaps were ridiculously luxurious, and her bathroom was probably the best bit of demon technology I'd seen so far. The bath had jets that burst a current through the water, and the shower head had such amazing water pressure that Quenlie came for a second time that evening.

As we all curled up together in her giant bed and settled down, she told me, "Tomorrow, I'm gonna show you something almost as good as the sex."

So, of course, I could barely sleep and ended up staring at the ceiling all night. Every so often, I would check under the covers that I was really sleeping next to three beautiful women and it wasn't just my imagination. They were real, the bruise on my back was real, and the sky outside really did have a reddish tinge to the blackness.

The sunrise was something to behold. Fire seemed to lick up the horizon and into the sky in a gradient of warm tones. The clouds were orange and yellow. I wanted to keep staring at the fiery ball of the sun, but my eyes soon watered and I had to turn away. Maybe I needed sunglasses like Shadar's.

She flowed up the wall and onto the windowsill to watch me, cocking her head. "You know, humans are supposed to have the best eyesight of all the peoples. Take care of those eyes of yours."

"Noted," I said and rubbed the bright spots out of them. "It is darker, here. I can see why you need the sunglasses when you're in Earth."

She nodded. "Don't get me started on Light, though. That place lives up to its name and it's quite a wild ride for my corneas."

"Hah. I'd love to see it." I looked back out at the red tinged farmyard beyond the window.

"Maybe one day." She squeezed my hand, then leaped from the windowsill, arced across the ceiling, and jumped back onto the bed, waking Quenlie and Elser with a squeak and a shriek.

*******

After a breakfast of what Elser called firefruit and more of that spicy tea, she led us into a room she called the garage. It was a stone floored room with a shed type of rolling door across the entirety of one wall. The carts inside needed no horses to pull them, just the turn of a key and the press of a pedal.

She sprawled across the hood of the smallest, sleekest of the three, and said, "This is my baby. Four hundred and fifty horsepower."

My jaw dropped, and it took me a moment to clarify, "The power of four hundred and fifty horses?"

"Yes," she hissed and rolled over the black, red, and white striped pattern.

"The one downside is that it's only got two seats." Shadar tapped on the side window. "I can fit into surprisingly tiny spaces, but you two will need to snuggle up." She pointed to Quenlie and I.

We smiled at each other. "Not a problem."

So we piled into the car, Elser in the driver's seat, me next to her, and Quenlie on my lap. The windshield was low and sloped at an almost horizontal angle, so we had to adjust the seat back to be able to fit. Shadar occupied the space behind the seats, just a shadow on the black leather interior. Her eyes blinked darkly at me through the rear-view mirror.

Elser pushed a button to open the garage, then rumbled the car to life and pulled out onto the gravel path outside. I had no idea what to make of the levers and switches she flicked, but I did enjoy the smooth maneuver that she made. I wrapped my arms around Quenlie's waist, though we were already strapped in by a belt and my flesh was unlikely to protect her in an accident.

"Now, accelerate gradually; you don't wanna make these two sick," Shadar said from the back.

Elser huffed and whined, but nodded. "Yeah, don't puke in my car."

Quenlie looked back at me with alarm, and Shadar said, "Keep your eyes forward, or you really will puke."

"Okay," Quenlie squeaked and settled back against me, eyes on the road in front of us.

And we were off. If that's what Elser called a slow start up, I'd love to see her fast one. The car zoomed along the road, gravel crunching beneath the wheels and dust billowing behind it. We soon arrived at a paved road, and the ride became much smoother, like we were flying. I wondered if the wheels were still on the ground, and got my answer when we came to a small bump in the road and Elser had to slow down to drive over it.

We joined other cars on a busy, wide road marked with white and yellow lines. The dark red paving beneath us was ridiculously smooth and allowed us to travel even faster.

Hearing and feeling Quenlie's measured, deep breaths, her shoulder blades moving against my chest, I remembered that I was supposed to be breathing, too. Somehow my heart was beating fast without a proper amount of oxygen. My head spun and a giddy feeling overtook me.

Maybe my new job in Deep could be a driver. I decided to ask Elser to teach me once we were done searching for Venestra. The casual, practiced way she flicked and turned and yanked on the controls, her steady, bright red gaze, and the smirk on her lips made me hot under the collar. I didn't know whether I wanted to stare at the foreign landscape whizzing by or just stare at her the whole time.

She glanced at me and winked as she turned onto a new street and drove towards a town filled with large factories, many pumping smoke into the sky through tall chimneys. My cock began to swell and press up against Quenlie's petticoat. She squirmed, and I bit the crook of her neck, willing my hips to keep still. Shadar chuckled in my ear.

Elser seemed not to know  _ quite _ what effect she was having on me, for she waved out the window at the large iron and stone buildings, proclaiming, "Welcome to Derrid! I'll take you to my friends' mechanic workshop. They know all the gossip around here."

She maneuvered the car easily through winding streets, finally stopping at a shop filled with cars, none as nice as her own, and one so caked with rust it was a wonder it still held together.

A bright red demon with silver and black hair grinned and waved as we parked in a spare space, then frowned as we all piled out of the car.

"Frid! Bernel!" she called out, and two male demons came out of the shop, one orange and broad, and the other dark blue and lanky.

The orange one marched straight up to Quenlie and I, wild anger in his eyes. "What's this about, huh?"

"Heyyyy, Frid." Elser side stepped in between us, her hands up in a placating gesture. "These are my friends."

"Friends, huh?" He gave her a dubious look, staring down their large height difference at her.

"Yeah, they love Venestra, okay?" she soothed.

"Venestra's abandoned us." He tsked and turned his head away.

"Don't say that." The red woman approached and lay a hand on his shoulder. She eyed us with suspicion and asked, "Do you have anything to do with the Gaia fanatics that came through here yesterday?"

I shook my head. "They were humans?"

"Yeah." Her shoulders relaxed. "Real aggressive. They broke the dam up at Rylar River; good thing we've all got backup water supplies."

"Humans came through here and broke a dam?" I blinked trying to process this information.

"Wow these guys know nothing," the dark blue demon said with a laugh.

"We were hoping you'd heard anything about Venestra lately," Elser asked.

The red demon turned to the two men and said, "I don't think we should be telling humans where Venestra is."

"It's for me." Shadar stepped forward, a hesitant tentacle in the air. She looked shy, which was kind of adorable. "I'm a shadow spy."

The three demons looked at her with surprised awe, mouths all making the same 'O' shape.

"The humans are helping me," she said. "They gave up a lot to help me, already. They don't mean Venestra or any demons harm."

The red woman nodded and held out her hand to shake. Her grip was firm and her shake was brisk. "I'm Ania, and these are my husbands, Frid and Bernel." She gestured to the orange and blue demons respectively.

They nodded at us, Frid still looking fired up.

Ania led us into the shop and gestured for us to sit on a set of metal chairs around a holographic table. A pitcher of water was already laid out, and the demons poured us each a glass. I was surprised by the slightly sweet taste.

"Okay," Ania clapped her hand on the table top, "we have heard where Venestra is, and she does need help, but you don't look like warriors."

"We're alchemists," I said. "Every goddess needs alchemists."

Bernel huffed and shook his head with a laugh. "I don't think you realise what you've gotten yourselves into."

"Who are the humans that were causing trouble? What did they look like?" Quenlie asked.

"Their leader had red hair. A vicious, arrogant woman. She summoned Gaia." He wrinkled his nose.

Quenlie and I looked at each other in alarm. Could they be talking about Eve Fullbright?

"Oh, you  _ do _ know her?" Frid's tone was accusatory.

"Well," I winced, "maybe, but we had no idea she was coming into Deep and attacking unprovoked. She tells everyone she's defending Earth from demons."

Bernel laughed loud and sharp, Ania shook her head, and Frid growled.

"Maybe she sees it that way," Bernel said, "but it's not like that."

"She and her gang killed two police officers last week." Frid poked his finger onto the tabletop. The holographic surface reflected in his angry eyes. " _ They _ were protectors, not her. And what has Venestra been doing during all of this? Fucking off to the fiery wasteland and hiding. Probably meeting up with the drug gangs and getting high."

Ania whacked him with the side of her hand. "Don't talk about Venestra like that. She's vulnerable right now."

"What happened to her?" Shadar's voice shook and she leaned forward.

"We don't know why, but she's a lot weaker than she was a couple of decades ago. That's why we all need to worship and sacrifice to her, so she can get stronger," Ania said the last bit through her teeth, glaring at Frid.

He growled, but deflated. "You're probably right."

"I need to help her," Shadar said softly.

I reached over and squeezed her hand. It was trembling. A deep line of worry was etched between her brows.

"There's a temple, just through the fiery wilderness," Ania said. "If anyone knows where she is, they will."

Shadar nodded, eyes glistening. "Thanks."

Elser rubbed at her temples and sighed. "We can't take my car in there."

"No, you better not." Frid locked eyes with her. "That beauty will be safe with us."

"You just wanna drive her," she grumbled, but handed her keys over.

He pocketed them and stood. "I'll trade ya my gun."

Her eyes widened and she squeaked. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, come on." He beckoned and walked to the back of the shop, where a large metal box was set into the wall. He turned a couple of dials, then the box swung open to reveal an assortment of jewels, precious metals, and paper, plus a black gun that looked way too large for Elser to carry.

He picked it up easily and said, "It's lighter than it looks."

She took it from him and grinned, tossing it a little. "Hey! It is! Cool."

"Have you got any of this metal?" I asked, smoothing my hand over the barrel. "Even a couple of flakes?"

"Sure." Frid closed the safe and turned to a workbench, picking up a little container of nails."Those work for you?"

"Yeah, thanks!" I grinned, nudging Quenlie. "We can alchemise them with our swords."

"Good idea," she squeezed my elbow and poked a dainty finger into the box, rattling the nails.

We went back to Elser's car and unloaded our belongings from the trunk, including our swords and alchemy sets. The demon mechanics let us use their workbench, and we soon had our swords gleaming brighter, cutting sharper, and feeling lighter than before.

Ania drove us in a car with a much larger carriage that sat higher upon its wheels than Elser's. We passed through the streets lined with factories and warehouses, into a suburban area full of brick and stone flats and houses. Soon, we were out of the town of Derrid, and the landscape was just fields of red grass and trees that looked like they were on fire. We came to a dead end in the road, with a sign that read  _ Beware: Dangerous wild animals roam these parts _ .

We got out of the car and Elser gave Ania a goodbye hug.

Ania gave me a pat on the shoulder and said, "Be good to Venestra," before getting back in her car and driving off, leaving us with nothing to do but walk into the red field before us.

"The temple is probably two days' walk that way." Shadar pointed east.

The sun glared at us like a fiery red blister upon an inflamed sky. The land sloped downwards for a time, leading us into a valley. The water table was higher than the ground level, and our shoes squelched in the rosy mud. Quenlie's suitcase wheels were soon caked with the stuff. Pockets of concave mud filled with fire were dotted around the place, and black scorpions crawled in and out of them, unharmed by the flame. When I got too close to one, the heat it gave off told me that I would not fare as well.

Ahead, we could see a group of five bulls, all with mean looking horns, far larger than Shadar's. We skirted around them, trying to avoid them as much as possible without detouring too much, but the way they stomped their feet and lowered their heads in our direction made it clear we wouldn't be so lucky.

The largest began to charge at us, horns down and muscled shoulders up. The other four followed its lead, all bowling straight through the fire pockets and disturbing the sludgy mud. I threw my bag down and pulled out my sword, and Quenlie did the same. Elser shouldered her gun and took aim, firing into the lead bull's foot. It stumbled but kept running, jets of fire now blowing out of its nostrils.

"Shit!" she said and shot it again, in its left flank.

Shadar loomed as a huge shadow over us and extended her tentacles out to the bulls, whipping their ankles and tripping them up. Elser got one between the eyes and it slumped, while the others got up and kept running at us.

I readied my blade, bouncing on the balls of my feet, and swung down as the first approached, clashing with its horns and denting the bone. It roared and blew fiery breath at me. I fell back in my bid to escape the scorching heat. Shadar tripped it before it could plough its horns into me, and Elser shot it right in the eyeball. Its blood splattered on my jacket and burned a hole through the fabric.

"Okay, then," I yelped and scrambled up, lashing out at a bull that was sparring with Quenlie. I sunk my blade into its rear, cutting deep. It roared and thrust its horns towards her, and Shadar protected her with a blanket of shadow and a whip of multiple tentacles. It fell, and Elser shot it dead.

I narrowly escaped the charge of another, and its horn burned as it nicked my arm. I swiveled around and sliced my blade through its tail, while Shadar ran screaming at it and plunged two tentacles through its eye sockets. It collapsed, tripping another, and Quenlie sliced through its ankles. It tried to stand on its bloody stumps, scrambling for a moment, before Elser put it out of its misery with a bullet in the head.

We all panted, sinking down into the mud, heedless of the way it coated our skin and clothes.

Quenlie was the first to speak, a little groan that turned into, "I really liked this outfit."

Elser laughed and got up, walking over to a bull carcass. "Maybe you can make some new clothes with this." She tapped its hide.

"Brilliant," Quenlie whispered and crawled over to her, dragging her suitcase.

I helped her cut the hide off the beast, careful not to touch the burning blood, then we boiled it with our green alchemists' flames and fused it with her muddied dress and my sliced up jacket. The garments we created were sturdier, leather embroidered with the same vine and floral patterns they'd sported in their previous lives. We did the same to our boots, increasing the level of comfort and protection they gave us.

"Please make me some, too," Shadar said, pulling a few elasticated strands of hair out of her head.

We mixed them with the hide and created a leather bra and panties that could morph with her body, like the sunglasses I'd made when we'd first met. Quenlie even added a couple of bondage straps to her thigh, which Elser declared were, "Super hot."

Shadar tested out their elasticity, stretching out as a long shadow over the muddy valley, then springing back to her normal size. The outfit stayed intact, and she clapped, giving us a twirl.

"This makes up for getting attacked by bulls," she said.

We ate a few nuts and seeds from my bag, and filtered some water out of the mud, then continued on east.

Before long, a swarm became visible in the distance, buzzing ever louder as we got closer. A few stray hornets flew up to us, zooming past our heads and singing Quenlie's hairpiece. Elser zapped them with her electrifying tools, the sky lighting up white for a second. The ground burned hot and we all screeched as we leaped away from the flames the charge had created.

"Maybe don't use the zappers while we're here," Shadar said, and Elser nodded.


	5. Blinder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The harem meet a lovely unicorn family in strife.

The ground began to rise again, and we ascended out of the muddy valley and over the crest of a terraced hill. On our new horizon, we could see a line of what looked like horses, but with humps on their backs.

"Camels," Elser said. "If they're volcanic, we're fucked. If they weren't, they'd probably have people riding them. The drug traffickers usually use them."

As we got closer, it became clear that, in fact, both of those possibilities were true. The camels with magma bubbling up out of their humps were being led by riders on safe camels. In between were foot-travellers, a group of pale, gleaming people in a cluster. Though the riders had two demonic horns, the walkers had just one each.

"Unicorns," I breathed, gazing at their shimmery skin and long hair and tails. Their lacy, gauzy clothes were singed and torn, and their skin was marred with pink burns.

"They're blinder traffickers," Elser said.

Quenlie and I looked at her, aghast. We'd heard of the drug, more as an urban legend than something that could be real. Unicorns secreted a fluid with an euphoric, hallucinogenic effect, including on themselves. Legend had it that Aurora, Goddess of Light, gave them the gland so that she would never have to live life sober. For a normal person, too much resulted in permanent blindness.

The procession changed course slightly and began to approach us. I shivered, feeling ill at the thought of meeting them. The leader of the group was a khaki green demon with huge, sharp, and mean looking bronze horns. Riding next to him was a skinny, pure white demon with bright red eyes that gazed at us in a chillingly calculated way. Bringing up the rear, herding the unicorns, was a grey-green demon with pure white eyes, no visible iris or pupil. His horns were jagged and pock marked, and his skin sagged on his bony frame. I didn't need three guesses to figure out which one was addicted to blinder.

"We don't want any trouble," the khaki green leader called out from atop his camel. "My name is Horg and these are Divver and Snen." He gestured to the white and grey-green demons respectively. They eyed our weapons and our modified clothes.

Divver's bright red eyes widened. "You're humans."

"Shit, you're right," Horg said. "You're not with that ginger chick, are you?"

"Definitely not," I said, trying to keep the shake out of my voice.

"Good," Horg said. "Then we'll just pass on by."

"You think so, do you?" Elser raised the barrel of her gun and aimed it at Horg's head.

Quenlie and I raised our swords on either side of her, and Shadar rose up as a huge shadow over the whole group.

"Oi, I said we don't want any trouble!" Horg yelled and backed his camel up, nearly stepping on the leather-clad feet of the unicorns behind him.

They hurried out of the way, but Snen struck out with a whip, making them step back into formation. Shadar grabbed the end of his whip and flung it back at his head. He cried out and fell off his camel onto the dusty red soil. She gathered the unicorns with her tentacles and urged them over to our side.

Before they could escape, Horg got out a pistol and shot one of them in the foot. She wailed and fell into her friends' arms, while silver blood oozed out of her wound.

Elser shot Horg in the arm, making him drop his gun. Meanwhile, Divver flicked a switch at his belt and all four unicorns jolted with an electric shock. Elser shot him in the abdomen and he slumped over his camel's hump.

The three unridden camels began to grunt and scuff their hooves on the ground, magma bubbling up and out of their humps. A flaming rock blew out of one, and I batted it away with my sword before it hit Elser in the face. Snen whipped their hinds and they galloped towards us, magma bubbling ever more violently and oozing down onto the ground below.

We scattered away from their path, while Shadar snatched the whip out of his hand and wrapped it around his neck.

"Okay! Okay! Truce!" he cried out, hands in the air.

Horg and Divver raised their hands, too. Well, Horg raised one hand; the other arm was hanging bloody at his side.

Shadar released Snen and pushed him over to his comrades, while their volcanic camels and his safe camel ran off into the distance. As we were backing away with the unicorns within our protective circle, Snen made a last ditch effort to keep them, charging at us with a crazed, desperate look on his face. I swung my blade into his chest, knocking him onto his back. He lay bleeding before me, and I pressed my sword to his kneck with just enough pressure for a shallow cut.

"Are you going to leave these unicorns alone?" I asked.

He gulped and blood welled up under my blade. "Just kill me," he said.

I hesitated, a chill running down to my stomach, and he grabbed my sword by the sharp edges and yanked it down into his neck, screaming. My eyes bugged wide and I stumbled back, pommel shaking in my hand.

Horg groaned. "Without blinder, he may as well have been dead."

He kicked his camel and rode off the way we had come, Divver following after him. We let them leave, staring after them in shock.

"Thank you for saving us," a soft but clear voice spoke from the quartet of unicorns.

A stunning ivory skinned woman stepped forward, her hair shining opalescent under the red sun, and her coiled horn standing proud and tall on her forehead. Her tattered, translucent gown wafted in the warm breeze and revealed lingerie embroidered with gold and silver flowers. She held a frilly parasol, and wore round, yellow tinted glasses, presumably to help her see in the relative darkness of Deep. Her figure was lean and athletic, with strong, muscular thighs and small, perky breasts. Looking at her, I felt a sense of peace descend over me.

She caught my gaze and gestured to the bloody corpse at my feet. "You shouldn't feel bad about killing him. He was nothing." Her lip curled as she looked down at what was left of him.

"Alright." I coughed and wiped my blade on his ragged clothes. I felt like I might start wheezing at any moment. Sheathing my sword, I said, "I'm Alair, and I've never met a unicorn before, so excuse me for staring."

She gave a small shake of her head. "It's alright. I've never met humans before. My name is Filick Drem, and this is my sister, Aria," she wrapped an arm around a woman with similar features, but pale gold hair, "and these are my mothers, Vinersa and Railer." She gestured to two older women, one with ivory skin like her daughters, and the other, taller one with pure white skin and hair. It was she who had been shot in the foot. They all wore yellow tinted glasses like Filick, and all had a cube contraption strapped to their abdomens and connected to a small bag each.

Railer gave us a half bow and said, "Would you mind escorting us to the portal a couple of hours north?"

"Don't worry about it," Shadar said, stepping forward to cradle her wounded foot. "We'll make sure you get home safe."

"Thank you." Vinersa hugged her. "We owe so much to you."

Shadar shook her head. "Venestra wouldn't want this sort of thing happening in Deep."

We all sat down for a moment, and the unicorns examined the contraptions attached to their abdomens. The bags were half full of blinder, and the cubes were connected by tiny tubes to the glands that produced the drug.

Filick ripped hers out with a, "Gah!" A little of the clear secretion spilled out of the wound in her side, mixed with silver blood. She tore a strip off her gown and tied it around her middle, stemming the flow.

"Oh, dear, why didn't you wait until we get to a doctor?" Vinersa took her gently into her arms.

"I don't want to go back to Light," Filick said, her jaw set in sharp defiance.

"What are you going to do?" Vinersa's voice warbled, and her eyes were wide and pained.

"I'm going to ask Venestra for help, since Aurora can't seem to do much for us," Filick said.

Vinersa looked like she was about to protest, but Railer placed her hand on her shoulder and said, "If that's really what you feel you must do, I support it and think you're very brave."

Vinersa blew air out her nostrils and frowned at her wife. "It was a mistake to stay this long in Deep, in the first place. What if she's captured again?"

Shadar raised a shy tentacle and said, "We're looking for Venestra, too. We could protect Filick."

I nodded in agreement and looked down at the pommel of my sword. I had already killed for this unicorn, and I felt like I would do it again.

Filick gave her mothers a look of such stoic affection that my orphaned heart stung with jealousy.

Aria hugged her around the middle, careful of her wound, and said, "I'll miss you. Don't stay away too long."

"I hope Venestra can help us quickly." Filick patted her golden hair.

I shared an awkward look with Shadar. It seemed more like Venestra was in need of our help, rather than being capable of supporting an extra race of people. Then again, maybe she would be able to shake some sense into Aurora and get her to protect them, herself.

As the unicorns murmured to each other, I caught sight of Quenlie with her alchemy set out, her suitcase pried open. I walked over to her and crouched beside the concoction she was making. She had a bottle of antiseptic ointment out, and was pouring it into her simmering alchemist's flask. Once it was done, she pulled out a thick and spongy piece of cloth with gauze on one side.

She showed it to me, and I said, "It looks great."

We turned to Filick, who was blinking at us with an unreadable expression. I noticed that, behind her yellow glasses, her eyes were lilac. They crinkled into smiling crescents, and the corner of her lip twitched up. "You're alchemists; how wonderful."

I blushed and looked at the ground as though I'd stared too long at the sun.

Quenlie approached her and replaced the makeshift bandage with her alchemised one. As her fingers danced lightly around her midriff, tying it into place, her cheeks turned rosy. She repeated the process for Railer’s foot. 

After a rest and some food, we started the trek north, towards the portal that would take Filick's family home to Light. We crossed a field of grass and thickets with tiny thorns that stung like little flames. I could see why this place was called a fiery wilderness.

Little creatures with bottlebrush tails scurried across our path. They didn't bother us until I got out a pouch of nuts and was about to hand it to Filick; one jumped like its tiny feet had springs in them, grabbed the pouch, and ran away, nuts flying every which way. The rest of its gang climbed up my legs and demanded more with little chirrups. I spread my hands, showing I had no more, and they dove into my bag.

I dropped the wriggling satchel and beat it with my hands, trying to scare them out. Elser approached with her electrifying weapon, a manic look on her face. I jumped back, ready to let her do her worst, when Filick stepped in and spat a thick glob at the ground just a little way away from my bag. I soon realised it wasn't saliva, unless her saliva smelled like alcohol and perfume.

The creatures crawled out of my bag and scurried over to the secretion, eating it up as though it were tastier than any nut. It didn't take long for them to start swaying, then they fell onto their backs and stared with vacant, cloudy eyes.

We all looked at Filick, shocked, and she spread her hands. "It has its uses."

She picked up my bag and handed it to me. Everything was jumbled up, but intact. I laughed a nervous but genuine laugh and thanked her.

As we continued on, a group of bulls could be seen out west, thankfully not where we were going. It was the landscape that became more troublesome, solid red soil giving way to rocks piled unsteadily over each other. Every step wobbled. The unicorns fared the best, especially Filick, who seemed to have a sixth sense for balance.

While we climbed after her, arms out in ungainly attempts to steady ourselves, we asked about their lives as nomadic unicorns.

"Adapting to each dimension is the biggest challenge," Filick said as she stepped lightly over a precarious rock. "Luckily, these glasses are easy to buy back home, and they make it so much easier to see in these dark dimensions. Seraph is another story. Maybe it should be called Light two point oh."

Vinersa chuckled. "Don't let a Charmeine worshiper hear you say that."

"Maybe it would've been better if she was our goddess," Filick said.

Vinersa practically galloped to the rock she was balancing on and tweaked her ear, causing her to stumble for the first time. "Don't talk about the goddesses so casually."

Filick sniffed in a defiant sort of way and said, "They can earn back my respect, if they bother to."

"Honestly..." Vinersa shook her head and looked to Railer, but she just smirked and pushed her playfully as Shadar carried her.

Once over the rocks, we could see the portal, but, true to form, it was not exactly in the middle of a harmless meadow. There was a meadow, yes, but it was surrounded by thick vines with large, mean thorns that could take your arm off if you stepped wrong. The ground beneath the thorn bush looked like either red grass or a low fire. As we got closer, it became clear that it was, indeed, fire.

I turned to the unicorns and asked, "How did you get through, last time?"

"The bush was not as thick as it is now. We were able to pick our way through  _ very _ carefully," Railer said.

Aria huffed and stomped her feet, looking dejected. "I'm tired. Maybe I'll just lie down and live here."

"Not an option." Vinersa flicked her, and she pouted.

I walked up to the tangle of thick, stiff vines and thorns, and broke off a piece of the black plant fibres. Setting down my bag, I got out my alchemy kit and dropped the fibre into my flask. Once it was a bubbling liquid over the green flame of my burner, I poured the substance over my sword, and held them both over the flame. When the structure was about to collapse, I took it out of the heat and pressed it into the soil below.

The others gathered around, no doubt marvelling at how, after doing such a thing to a sword, it remained gleaming, straight, and sharp. Quenlie just grinned and started doing the same thing to her sword.

When we were both done, we raised our blades against the thorn bush and hacked through it with swoops that almost felt magical. The vines broke apart and the fire beneath them sizzled out at the cool press of our blades.

"Ingenious," Filick said, hands up at her mouth. Her braided tail flicked out behind her. She turned to her family and said, "Are you alright to go through there?"

They all nodded, and Aria ran up to give her a hug that made her back bones click.

"Okay," Filick teased like it was a burden to her, but returned the hug with as much fervor.

After a tearful goodbye from Vinersa and a silent squeeze from Railer, they stepped through the gap in the vines and into the glowing green light of the portal. After one more hesitation, they were gone, and Filick's shoulders sagged.

She turned to us, twisting her hands together, and said, "I want to be useful to this group."

Quenlie came up beside her and patted her shoulder. "It's okay. You're wounded and have been through a lot. Let's all just focus on getting to Venestra with whatever abilities we have."

Filick nodded with the rest of us, but still looked concerned.

Apart from the fiery thorn bush, the meadow by the portal was a pleasant place to stop and rest. A nearby thicket of trees held some nuts, and we all gathered a handful each and sat in the softest patch of grass.

As I popped a nut in my mouth and crunched down on it, my eyes widened, then watered. "Mmm!" I waved my hands, crunched through the burning spice, and swallowed. "What in Venestra's name was that? Nuts don't just grow spicy like that...do they?"

"Only the best ones do," Elser said, winking as she popped one into her mouth and chewed it like it was a sweet candy.

"Earth food is a bit bland," Shadar said. "Some areas use more spice than others, but nowhere near as much as we do."

"That makes sense." Quenlie nibbled on her nut carefully.

Filick seemed not to mind them, crunching them like they were plain old walnuts. "Food is sweeter back home in Light, but I got used to the Deep way of eating."

"Maybe one day, I'll get to try Light food. I do like sweets." I bit my next nut in half and crunched it up quickly, like a squirrel.

"I'd love to see your face when you try a ferris cake." Filick pressed her smile between her lips.

"Are my expressions that funny?" I laughed and made a face.

She chuckled behind her hand and nodded. "My soul feels lighter, being with you. It probably also has something to do with getting saved." She shook her head and scrunched her face like she'd embarrassed herself.

"I think it helps that we all liked you as soon as we met you," I said, looking to the others, who all nodded.

Filick's face smoothed and her shoulders loosened. "Thank you."

She seemed deep in thought as we finished our nuts, her lilac eyes looking far away. At any of the easy touches between the rest of us, her eyes focused and watched: my hand on Quenlie's knee; Shadar's tentacle brushing a strand of hair out of my face; Elser playfully slapping my thigh when I teased her.

"I promise, you're very formidable," I said. "Your strength is compact."

Elser straightened her back and puffed her leather clad chest out. "Damn right. I chase wolves out of my farm every night."

"How will it fare without you to protect it tonight?" Quenlie asked.

"My parents will be home by now," Elser said. "Plus, we employ a guard. He's not as good as me, but he keeps away the majority of pests just by being present."

"I wish my presence did that." Filick shuffled closer to me on the grass, adjusting her tattered gown around her legs. It was made of a fine, delicate mesh that made her body look even more shimmery. "Just the look of me makes pests want to capture me."

"What if someone more palatable caught you, just for a moment?" I flushed and looked at her sidelong.

"They might not need to catch me, if they were honourable and handsome." Her eyes locked with mine.

Silence descended around us, not even a rustle from our companions. Birds chirped far away, outside our little bubble of tension. The crackle of fire lay low over our consciousness. I leaned close to Filick, and her lips parted, a little gasp escaping them. I kissed her, and her glasses clacked in between us. When we parted, she took them off and blinked a few times. Her uncovered eyes were stunning, crystalline irises reflecting the lowering light around us, and pupils blown wide, taking in all the light they could get. I took her hand and kissed her again, marvelling at the soft and silky feel of her skin, the lusciousness of her lips as mine sucked at them, slotted against them, and parted them wider.

A little sigh came from beside us, and Filick jolted back, her long hair falling like a curtain around her horn and over her face. I could see a pink blush between the strands.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"No, don't be shy." Quenlie pressed her hands on her tense shoulders, lowering them.

"We're a very sharing group." Shadar wound her tentacles around Filick's ankles and massaged her just above her brown leather shoes.

Filick tossed her head gently, her hair falling back around her cheekbones, and straightened her muscular legs out in front of her, twisting her feet around.

Elser crawled over to her side and tapped her jawline. "Does it make you nervous, having all of us gaze at you like this?"

Filick flushed deeper and said, "A little." She ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Elser smoothed the strands over her shoulder, exposing her neck, and kissed over the tense tendon running down to her collarbone. Filick shivered visibly and tilted her head to give her better access, a high, nervous moan escaping her lips.

She stared at me, though in the lowering light she probably couldn't see much. "You will be gentle." Her words were not a request, but confirmation of something we both knew.

I nodded and leaned into her, catching her lips while Elser sucked on her neck. Quenlie was nuzzling against her shoulder blades and sliding her bra straps down her shoulders. She undid the clasp at the back, a strange, coiling mechanism that took a moment to work out, then let the bra fall down her body and into her lap.

I cradled her cheek in one hand and cupped a pert breast in the other. Her silky soft nipple was malleable under my thumb, and hardened quickly. I could feel the little pebbles around the areola. She arched, pressing her breast more firmly into my hand, her hips wriggling where she sat.

Shadar's tentacles crept up her legs, parting her thighs and tugging at the lacy hem of her panties. Filick whimpered into my mouth and kissed me harder, lifting her hips so Shadar could undress her. Soon, she was dressed only in the translucent wrap around gown, fabric unwrapped and splayed around her. Her pubic hair was soft and matched the opalescence of the rest of her hair, shining in the dusk light. Between her legs, her braided tail twitched, and she shifted, brushing it away and off to her side.

She lay back while I crawled on top of her and in between her legs. Shadar became a shadow beneath her, releasing tendrils to tickle her ivory skin and guide her legs to wrap around my hips. Quenlie and Elser came in on either side, and all four of us hemmed her in like a cage of limbs. Her body rolled against mine.

I felt Shadar pull down my trousers and reveal my erect cock. A bead of precome dripped down and fell on Filick's pubic mound, connecting us with a string of clear fluid. She shivered and rocked her hips. With her strong thighs around me, it almost felt like I was the one being pinned.

I took her hips, gentle with her injured abdomen, and rubbed the underside of my cock against her moist pubic mound. I lined the head up with her labia, brushing them open and teasing her entrance. She quivered and pulled at the hairs at the back of my neck, hips rocking and flinching at the same time.

"It's been a while," she whispered, looking away with an even deeper blush.

I nudged my nose against hers and kissed her softly. "It's okay."

I slid my hand down her body and swirled my fingers in her damp pubic hair, then brought them down to feel under the hood of her clit with gentle presses. She whined and bucked up into my touch. When I felt like she was eager enough, I slid my fingers down between her labia and pressed them inside, past her tight entrance, massaging her pubic bone as I went. She opened up for me, letting me into the spongy place inside. I added a second finger, and she let out a silent moan through beautifully parted lips.

Pulling out my fingers, I repositioned my cock against her entrance and pushed in slowly, a gentle drag of flesh against flesh. She whimpered quietly and reached up for a kiss that I gladly gave. My tongue mimicked my cock, sliding between her lips and into the warm cavern beyond.

Shadar was massaging my balls and perineum while I got fully seated and stilled with my hips flush against the insides of Filick’s thighs. I felt around where Fillick and I were connected, and there were many little tendrils snaking over both of our heated flesh, stoking the already blazing fire of our lust.

Filick chuckled with a soft huff and smiled, shifting beneath me. Her eyelids hung low, her lashes picking up the scant light that was left above us.

"You're beautiful," I murmured, and kissed the corner of her eye.

"I would return the compliment, but I can only see vague shapes." She stroked her fingertips down the planes of my face.

"You can take my word for it, he looks super sexy." Elser nuzzled into the crook of my neck and bit my earlobe. It stung just enough to ping my excitement.

On our other side, Quenlie was gentle but insistent as she slid her fingers into my mouth, then Filick's, getting them nice and wet before sliding them down her corseted body and under her bloomers. Her moan spurred me on further, and I made a gentle move inside Filick's pussy.

"Mmh!" Her tongue came out to wet her lips and I leaned down to suck on the tip.

She rocked up and I closed the distance between our hips, once more. The trail of friction in our movements sent the back of my brain sparking and my pelvis throbbing. Again, I rocked out of her, then slowly penetrated her. She became more and more eager and comfortable, and I quickened my thrusts until a long string of silent moans were huffing out of her mouth.

Her facial expression was to die for, an overwhelmed glaze over her glimmering eyes, pupils blown so wide, and her mouth parted and moist. Her neck was relaxed, making her head jostle with every movement, while her chest flexed and heaved.

My shirt felt stifling, and I had to feel her skin on my torso. I stilled for a moment, while she twitched beneath me, and I threw the garment off. My sweaty skin hit the cool evening air and I groaned, flattening myself over her and rubbing my nipples against hers. I was careful with her bandage as I clutched at her waist and began to rock and thrust again.

Our pleasure built slowly, tingling in my balls and giving me the urge to tense, let it all out, succumb, but I waited until she was trembling and her hips were stuttering as she met my thrusts.

"Who do you want to come for?" I murmured in her ear.

She whimpered high and clenched around me. "Venestra. Give me all you've got and make her notice us."

"Yes," I moaned and sped up my thrusts.

Prickles of heat crawled up my back and to the top of my head, then washed down my body in a wave. I came deep inside her, pumping the fluid into her gorgeous body and making slick noises.

"Venestra," I murmured against her beautiful mouth, "take us, draw strength from us, and don't abandon us."

A tight, hot and deep throb unfurled inside me and I unleashed another load of seed into Filick while she tossed her head and bit her lip.

With a soft, satisfied, "Anh," she stilled beneath me, arms slackening around my neck.

I became aware of the women around us, again, and watched their faces as the last of their aftershocks twitched through them. Filick sighed and I rested my head on her soft chest.

Between us, we were damp, but not drenched. Venestra had listened and taken what was offered.

I sighed and rolled us onto our sides, Filick’s unwounded side. We curled against each other while Quenlie hugged my back and Elser hugged Filick's. Shadar rested as a shadow over us, like a blanket of the deepest darkness in the meadow.


	6. Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The harem finds the Temple of Venestra and her hostile and alluring high priestess.

We woke up with early morning sun stretching over the horizon and into our eyes. Filick put her yellow glasses on and gave me a bright smile. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a squeeze, before getting up and putting my clothes back on.

Our trek south east began with a slow amble through the meadow and into the rolling hills beyond. Little rabbits crawled out of burrows in the hillsides and hopped up to us. I crouched down to say hello, but Elser yelled and ran at them, scaring them away.

I looked at her like she'd ruined my birthday party. "What? They were friendly!"

"Yeah, friendly until they bite you with their two big fangs." She pushed two fingers under her top lip and hissed.

"Oh, wow." I blinked at their cute little tails as they hopped away.

Beyond the hills, we came to a lake of magma, though there didn't seem to be an active volcano anywhere near.

"It never cools and never stops flowing," Shadar said, flicking a tentacle out to slap at the surface and making ripples that undulated for ages.

We balanced on rocks to get through it, Filick and Shadar having no trouble, while the rest of us had at least two near falls to our death before we reached the other side.

Ahead, the earth was scorched but flat and dry. We could see something sticking up out of the ground, perhaps a plinth and pillar. As we neared, a large, circular stone base came into view, which would have been big enough to support a temple. However, only the plinth was set into the stone, like it was meant to hold a placard describing what this place was.

A square of light flickered onto the side of the pillar, bright red with gold lettering. We scrambled over to it and read it together, our brows furrowing and denting the further we read.

_ Seven goddesses in six realms _

_ Daughters, creators, forging life from fire _

_ They stoked the heat of each soul's kiln _

_ I watched from my abyss and felt no ire _

_ My first is in right, total, and absolute _

_ My second is in night, shine, and filler _

_ My third can be found in a tree, an offshoot _

_ In the center, my fourth is first and last in alpha _

_ My fifth, in intoxicate, enthrall, not steady _

_ My sixth is symmetrical, second in mirror _

_ My final, in heat, racy, and ready _

_ Who am I? Am I their juror? _

Beneath the riddle was an interface for typing in an answer. It was hard for me to get my head around the technology, let alone the riddle.

"How is it displaying that?" I asked, poking my finger through the image and hitting the smooth side of the pillar.

"Looks like a hologram," Elser said. "Fancy, but not out of this world."

"Just out of my world." I chuckled and ruffled my hair.

We inspected the stone base, walking around the edge and circling into the middle. There were metal grooves at certain spots, but they wouldn't budge when we tried to tamper with them.

"I think we need to solve the riddle before we're allowed to see whatever this is," Filick said. "I assume that it's made for demon knowledge, because it only rhymes when it's said in a demon accent."

"Hah, you're right," Shadar said, inspecting it closer.

"It seems to be talking about the seven goddesses." Quenlie bit her nail. "That's all that makes sense to me."

"Yes," Filick nodded. "The first is Charmaine, the second is Luna, third is Jasmine, fourth is Gaia, fifth is Aurora, sixth is Solar, and seventh is Venestra."

"Maybe the answer is  _ goddess _ ," I said.

Filick typed that in, and the image flashed blue with a large 'X'. We sagged. The image went back to the riddle. This time, Shadar read it aloud, pausing after each line.

"Do the legends in your worlds tell of anything higher than a goddess? Or the origins of the goddesses?" Filick asked.

We all shook our heads.

"As far as I was taught, Gaia created everything worthwhile and the others created the rest." Quenlie laughed ruefully.

"If you listen to some humans, she created and has a right to dominion over everything," I said.

"Seriously?" Filick's eyes widened. "But that can't be the answer. We're in Deep."

"So, what if there's something above the goddesses?" I asked. "Or a belief system where there is. How would we describe it to the gadget?" I waved my hand at the pillar.

"The clues must be in the poem." Filick stepped closer and wrinkled her nose.

We gathered around it, leaning on each other as the day wore on, sometimes breaking away to recite it aloud while counting, tapping, walking, even singing. I looked to Filick, for she seemed to be the most confident that she could figure it out, adjusting her glasses on her nose and crossing her arms with a soft huff. To make myself feel useful, I rubbed her shoulders and kept quiet.

"Titania," she finally said, sounding confused by her own word. "The first is  _ T _ , in right, total, and absolute." She tapped the letter onto the interface. "The second is  _ I, _ in night, shine, and filler." Tap. "The third is  _ T, _ in tree and offshoot." Tap. "The fourth is  _ A _ , first and last letter in alpha." Tap. "The fifth is  _ N, _ in intoxicate, enthrall, but not steady." Tap. "The sixth is  _ I _ , second letter in mirror, making it symmetrical with the first  _ I _ ." Tap. "Last letter is  _ A _ , in heat, racy, and ready."

She pressed submit, and the pillar lit up gold. The ground rumbled beneath us, and stone began to rise out of the base.

"What's a titania?" I asked, wrapping an arm around Filick and leading her back from the moving stone.

"I don't know!" she had to speak loud over the grinding and rumbling.

We all moved back to a safe distance away and watched the temple rise out of the stone, a crescent of steps, more pillars, and engraved eaves running around the circumference of the roof. At first, it appeared empty, deserted, but then there was movement up above.

A demon stood at the top of the steps, at the entrance to the temple, clothed in a satin cloak that parted to reveal burgundy lingerie over her pink skin. Her tail had a tear shaped nub on the end, and her horns extended up from the top of her forehead, with a black fringe hanging between them. Her eyes were bright red and gorgeous, with long, dark lashes and a wicked slant to them.

I shivered just at the sight of her, and stepped forward to meet her, but she held her hand out, and two other demons came in on either side, bejewelled swords out.

"A man has not set foot in our temple for years, and you," she stepped towards me, "are a human male."

"I come in support of Venestra," I said.

She sniffed in a deep breath and scowled. "I smell the blood of a demon on your blade."

"I don't feel good about it." I hung my head.

Filick stepped up to my side. "He was saving my life. I know you will find him honourable."

"And who are you? Why should I take in your opinion?" The demon sneered.

"This is Filick. She deciphered the riddle," I said.

"Ah." The demon smiled. She held out her hand to Filick, and said, "I am Seil Naar, high priestess of this temple."

Filick squeezed her hand, blinking at her beautiful, bright eyes.

"This is Cara." Seil gestured to the demon on her right. Her skin was pure white, and her hair was bright red and flicked. Red bondage straps covered her breasts and crotch, and not much else, revealing her sharp hip bones and the slightest dip in her waist. Her horns and tail looked sharper than her blade.

"And this is Diendrel." Seil gestured to the demon to her left, her hair in a dark red, voluminous bob, and her skin jet black. Her horns and tail were curled, and her svelte body was fully covered in a red latex catsuit. She directed her full lipped pout towards me.

"We would love to pray with such a pretty unicorn," Seil fluttered her dark lashes at Filick, "but no humans." She glared at me and flicked her attention to Quenlie, who shrunk back.

"But we need their help. Venestra needs their help." Shadar stepped forward, her tentacles reaching out and covering the steps in shadow.

This gave Seil pause. She stared at Shadar for a moment, her face losing some of its pink hue. "Perhaps," she said slowly.

"No!" Cara struck the stone steps with her blade, the clash ringing out over the scorched landscape. "They could be in league with the humans who killed..." she trailed off, lip quivering.

"We're only in league with the people you see here." I gestured to Shadar, Filick, and Elser. "If you want to, test my honour."

Seil touched her lips in thought, while Cara's eyes widened in alarm.

Diendrel spoke up, "I think Cara should get to fight him. Only then will we be able to see what his honour is."

Seil's eyebrows rose, and she looked from Diendrel to Cara. After a moment, she said, "Alright. No weapons. A hand combat match. At the first sign of dishonourable tactics, we will step in and protect her."

A ferocious light burned in Cara's eyes, and she discarded her sword. I unfastened my sheath from my belt and lay it aside, then followed her to a spot clear of the steps and pillar. We stood opposite each other, chests rising and falling out of sync. Her irises were black, obscuring her pupils and standing in stark contrast to her skin. Her horns glinted under the red light of the sun.

Seil seemed to notice me looking at them warily, and said, "Cara, no horn or tail action. This needs to be a fair fight."

Cara nodded without taking her eyes off me.

I tried to calm my breathing, to quell my nerves and fight against the blush that crept into my skin, being so close to her nearly naked body, knowing that we would soon be wrestling.

"Are there any other rules?" I asked. "I don't know what I'm doing here; I'm an alchemist, not a fighter."

"You were fighter enough to kill." Seil sliced her hand through the air between Cara and I, then raised it quickly with a, "Go!"

Cara launched herself at me and I raised my hands, our palms slapping against each other as I fell on my back. The shock reverberated through my bones. She jutted her knee into my thigh while I tried to roll us, to throw her off, anything to get the upper hand. She let go of me and made to punch down, but I blocked her with my arms in a cross in front of my face. The shock of her blow shunted me along the flat, rough ground, just enough for me to scramble out from under her. I leaped up, while she crouched low and lunged for my ankles. For a second, I thought she would sink her fangs into my shin, but she just tried to topple me again. I swerved away and stumbled back, then managed to knee her right in the nose. She yowled and rolled away from me, then sprung to her feet.

We stood a couple of metres apart, bouncing on the balls of our feet, arms up defensively. She darted in and struck a blow to my ribs. Pain seized me and adrenaline numbed me. I blocked her next attack and slammed the flat of my hand into her face. She fell back, knocked her head on the ground, and rolled. Blood oozed out of her nose as she staggered up.

She made to do a spinning kick, and I launched myself at her back, wrapping an arm around her neck and toppling us to the ground. My body broke her fall. She writhed in my headlock, feet scrambling in the loose rocks and pebbles beneath us. The strap covering her breasts slipped down, and her pink nipples stood out on her white skin, pointing up at the sky. I squeezed my arm around her neck. A sharp white horn sliced into my cheek, and I cried out, letting her go.

Quenlie ran between us, pin sword up defensively. "She broke the rule! She used her horn!"

"It was my fault." I sat up and pressed my palm to my cheek in a vain attempt to stem the flow of blood.

Cara sat on the ground, rubbing her neck. A sliver of my red blood dripped down her white horn. The strap from her chest now sat on her narrow hips.

Seil walked over to us and gave Cara her hand, helping her up. She made a placating gesture to Quenlie, who sheathed her sword and stepped back. Shadar helped me up with her tentacles, and pried my hand off my face to check my cut.

"You'd better come inside and get that bandaged up," Siel said, beckoning with her hand and sweeping away and up the stairs, her satin cloak billowing out behind her.

Cara hesitated, staring at me, then followed her with Diendrel in tow.

I looked at my companions, shrugged sheepishly, and led them up the stairs behind the priestesses.

Inside the temple, cushions and female demons covered most of the floor, except for the space right before an altar depicting Venestra in gold. The metalwork was exceptional, showing her voluptuous curves in realistic detail. The smirk on her lips was knowing and warm. Two horns extended up from her forehead, starting before her hairline, and full waves of hair streamed down her back and shoulders. I found myself transfixed, and barely noticed Siel bidding me to sit.

A gentle hand pressed on my shoulder. I looked into her bright red eyes, breath faltering, and sat. Although she was the high-priestess of this temple, she sat beside me and dabbed at my cut with a wet cloth. Another demon held a bowl of water for her, and yet another had a sticky bandage ready.

Once I was patched up, I looked to my companions, all sitting around us, and said, "We were wondering what Titania meant."

Siel folded her hands in her lap and considered this for a moment.

Cara was the one who spoke, "We don't know."

Siel sighed. "That password was created by Venestra. She is very mysterious about it."

"Oh." I frowned, disappointed. "And she was here?"

"She was. She's in hiding. I doubt she will come out for you," Siel said.

"What about me?" asked Shadar, a tentacle reaching out like a desperate hand imploring for help.

"Perhaps," Siel conceded, nodding.

"Perhaps she will take pity on the poor alchemist, after his pathetic fighting." Diendrel's blush and sullen, sultry stare took the sting out of her insult.

"If she is going to come out, we've got a lot of work to do." Siel turned to a mahogany demon and said, "Bea, take our guests to the baths and prepare them."

"Yes," Bea said with enthusiasm, standing up and taking my hand.

I let her help me up, and followed her winding path through the cushions and women sprawled on the floor in various poses of rest. One tinkled her fingers in a wave at me, from where she lay naked and draped with two other women. I flushed and smiled at her.

The baths were at the back of the temple, three crescent shaped pools that fitted together to make one larger crescent. The jets and sprays were even better than Elser's bathtub. One was pumping out pink suds continuously, another glimmered with a shiny substance on the surface, and the last was full of clear water that moved in waves down the pool.

Bea led me to the sudsy one and began to take off my jacket, a curious smile on her lips. I turned to see four other attendants were relieving my companions of their clothes. They were all naked, themselves, and of various hues and body types, someone for everyone.

Bea had a slim waist and wide thighs and hips, with teardrop breasts and nipples that pointed up. She caught me staring, and arched her back, taking my wrist and guiding my hand to cup a soft breast. I bit my lip and inhaled, then leaned in to kiss her, deepening almost immediately. She opened her mouth and gave my tongue easy access, as her hips tilted forward, rubbing against mine and exciting my twitching cock.

Breaking away from me, she said, "No sex in the bath, alright?"

I flushed and moaned in disappointment, but nodded, letting her take the rest of my clothes off.

We stepped into the sudsy bath and she collected some of the soap between her palms. She brought it up to my chest and rubbed it up my neck, leaving a trickling trail of bubbles down my torso. I did the same for her, just to have an excuse to touch her again. With firm, scrubbing touches, she dissolved the layer of red grime on my skin, then guided me down to wash my hair, her fingertips and the water tickling my scalp. By the time she was finished, I was so relaxed I could have just fallen asleep and had a really nice wet dream. I fantasised about her touching my sleeping body, gazing at her in a daze.

She giggled and led me into the next bath, the one with the shimmery surface. It left a film on my skin that reflected the rainbow under the soft lights. Bea massaged this liquid into my flesh, her hands slipping over me and fingers dipping into places that made me blush.

Next, she took me into the wave pool, which was filled with the clearest, cleanest water I had ever seen. My alchemised water filters had nothing on these mechanical ones. Maybe they were helped by goddessly powers. I closed my eyes and imagined Venestra stroking the filth and soap off me as Bea did. She hummed softly as she worked, lulling me into such a dreamy sense of safety that it would have been the perfect time to sneak up and attack me.

Instead, she just helped me out of the pool and dried me off with gentle swipes of a towel. I shivered and she wrapped her arms around me.

"The incense room is warm." Her voice and gaze caressed me as much as her hands did.

"Lead the way." I smiled, probably looking like a dopey fool.

She took my hand and we walked to the entranceway to a wide corridor. I looked back and saw my companions being dried off too. Elser blew me a kiss, and I pretended to catch it. She beamed with surprise, and I guessed that move wasn't as overdone in Deep as it was in Earth.

The incense room  _ was _ warm, but the smoky tendrils of perfume also tickled my allergies and made my eyes water. After the seventh sneeze, Bea took me back out into the corridor, apologising profusely.

"I've never heard of someone being allergic to incense," she said, rubbing my back.

"I guess it's a human thing." I shrugged and kissed her cheek to let her know it was okay.


	7. Orgy For Venestra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alair and co. are treated to the delights of Venestra's temple maidens and priestesses.

We returned to the large altar room I had first come through. Statue Venestra's golden eyes watched me with regal interest. So did the multitude of other women in the room. Siel was reclining lazily on a bed of cushions, her cloak gone and her pink skin shining under the lights. Though she was petite, she was curvy, and looked like a small, sweet desert in her lacy lingerie.

Bea let go of my hand and urged me to go to Siel, saying, "Come to me when you're done."

She left me, reclining a little way away. The only thing left for me to do was approach Siel, the high priestess, my heart hammering in my chest.

She crooked a finger, and I descended upon her languid body, sliding a hand behind her waist and pulling her close to me. With a soft moan, she spread her legs and embraced me, drew me into her cocoon of seduction. Her full breasts pressed against my chest as she rocked her hips, rubbing her lacy groin on the underside of my erect cock. I slid my hand down and into her panties, fondling her smooth, hairless pubic mound and dipping my fingers between her slick labia. Her scent was intoxicating, so much better than incense.

"Are you ready to give your body to Venestra?" she murmured against my lips.

"She already owns me," I said lowly.

At that, she moaned, holding me tighter and kissing me hard. A fang nicked my bottom lip, but I didn't care, just swallowed the metallic blood and kissed her with abandon.

I pulled aside her flimsy panties and stroked the head of my cock over her vulva, from clit to perineum. She moaned and melted against the cushions, her tail winding around my middle. Pulling me close, she guided me inside her, labia parting for me and entrance stretching for my girth, while keeping tight. Past her pelvic bone and into the soft, spongy passage beyond, I thrust with care, knowing that she probably hadn't taken a man in a long time. Even so, her pelvic muscles worked around me, clearly experienced in bringing both herself and her partners to orgasm. I imagined her teaching the other priestesses, working them hard and making them spiritual queens of the bedroom.

Her rocking hips let me know when she wanted me to start thrusting. I worked us up into a lazy, steady rhythm, jostling her breasts with each movement. Her eyelashes fluttered and her pelvis flexed, while her arms lay draped about her head, limp and prone. I kissed the soft skin on the inside of her arm, then her neck, making her shiver. Arching up, I kissed down her collar and to her nipple, laving my tongue over the bud. She clenched around my cock and my head spun. My hip thrusts became sharper, faster, more desperate. I was chasing the orgasm she was squeezing out of me.

Placing her hands on either side of my face, she gasped and moaned as she said, "Come for me. Come for Venestra. She is hungry for you. I can feel it."

A divine pleasure swelled in my cock, my pelvis, out into my abdomen and spreading down my limbs. I shook, moaning unrestrained as her pussy milked my seed from me with expert, rolling clenches. Her pelvis locked around the base of my cock and kept me inside as I came down from the high. She panted and groaned, grasping my face and peppering me with kisses.

"So good, darling, so good." She lapped at me with her pointed, tapered tongue.

When her pelvis relaxed, I gently slid out of her, my cock clean, save for a little lubricating precome. I was still hard and swollen to full size, twitching with interest at the sight of her spread pussy.

"Venestra wants more." Siel tickled my pubic hair, making me flinch.

I shivered and kissed her deeply, before she disentangled herself from me.

"There are many more women who are desperate to feel you," she said and rolled me onto my back. "Diendrel is gagging for it."

"Nuh uh," the jet black demon whined from nearby, though she crawled over to us and switched places with Siel. The red latex stretched as she straddled my hips, moulding tight to her pubic mound. It was smooth and slid easily over my moist cock.

Her hair hung down around my face as she leaned down to lick over my lips. My tongue met hers in a wet chase between her lips, between her fangs, and into her mouth. She moaned and rubbed her latex-clad body against me. I groped her ass, pressing her more firmly down over my cock. She whimpered and drew back.

As she raised her head, a line of drool kept our lips connected. Her tongue lolled out and her lashes batted lowly. She crawled down my body, licking sloppily at my chest, my abs, my hips. Her tongue lapped inwards and her tail swung around to curl around the base of my cock.

"Fuck," I groaned at the tightness, the harsh friction.

She squeezed and lapped at me, digging the pointed tip of her tongue into my slit. I tossed my head and hissed. Her lips pursed around the head of my cock and her tongue wiggled, fraying my sensitive nerves. I moaned with relief as she let me go and laved her tongue from base to tip, drooling over me and kissing me sloppily. She sucked the precome out of me and wrapped her hand around my shaft, giving it a few wet pumps. My wrecked moan encouraged her, and she pumped faster and faster, continuing to lick and drool over the tip.

In a burst of pleasure, I came all over her face. She sat up and it dripped down onto her latex-clad chest. Swiping it up with a fingertip, she licked it greedily. I sat up and helped clean her face, feeding her the mess as she whined and shivered.

"Is Venestra eating it?" I asked lowly.

She nodded with a moan and a twitch of her hips. Lapping up the last of my cum, she rubbed her thighs together and squirmed as I embraced her.

"Good girl," Siel cooed, placing a kiss on the top of Diendrel's head. She helped her crawl away from me, and another set of hands took her place.

I rubbed the heel of my palm over my forehead and swallowed hard, readying myself for more. My cock seemed not to care that I had just come twice, as hard as ever.

Cara was next, now completely naked, save for bondage straps on her thighs and ankles.

She lay on her back and buckled them into each other, trapping her legs in a bent and exposed position. I slid in between them and looked down at her body, narrow and lean. Her nipples were already hard, pointing outwards and upwards, and her hips and thighs had a pretty smattering of goosebumps.

"Sorry about your cheek." She reached up to gently stroke the edges of my bandage, and my nerves tingled.

"It was honestly my fault. I don't know what I was thinking, putting a demon in a head lock, especially one with such magnificent horns." I brushed my fingertips up the length of her right horn, up to its sharp point.

A self-satisfied smile crawled onto her lips, and she tilted her head. "I  _ am _ fond of them." Though her eyes were so black, light danced in them. This hardly seemed like the angry and aggressive demon who had fought me not long before.

"What made you trust me?" I asked, cupping her cheek.

Her eyes took on a more serious light. "I've heard a lot - too much - about the humans who've been out here...murdering, causing havoc. You're not like them. I think you trust Venestra more than you trust Gaia. That's no small thing. It must be difficult to process."

I stilled and considered her words for a moment. "I believe all of the goddesses should be respected. Though they're acting in Gaia's name, I don't think she wants this conflict with her sisters."

"I hope, for your sake, that you're right." Cara smiled sadly and stroked a finger down the middle of my chest. "Now...give Venestra your strength." Her finger got lower, dipping between my abs, then into my pubic hair. "Give her a nice, long orgasm for me."

"With pleasure." I leaned down and kissed her thoroughly, pinning her wrists on either side of her head.

She whined into my mouth and shifted against the cushions, testing her bonds and moaning. I kissed down her neck, licking along her collarbone and then sucking a red mark on her white breast. Her hard little nipple felt so good in my mouth, as I swirled my tongue around the puckered areola. She sighed and arched against my mouth.

While I kissed and sucked at her chest, I slid my fingers down over her smooth pubic mound, tickling the outer edges before stroking her labia. I parted the folds of flesh to reveal her swollen clit, and dragged her fluid up to it with a swipe of my finger. The little bud of nerves twitched at my touches. I pressed it firmly and felt the hard little shaft beneath her skin, throbbing with arousal. Her whines were high pitched and in time with the rolling movements of her hips.

Keeping my thumb on her clit, I slid a finger inside her, to pinch her pubic bone from inside and outside. I rubbed pleasure like a spark between my fingertips. She made the most exquisite expressions as she moaned. I reached up to kiss her lips, my wrist aching at the angle, then moved back down to her breasts and buried my face in her spread cleavage.

I took her to the edge of orgasm, her skin prickling and little hairs rising, then pulled my fingers out and away. For a moment, I let her feel the cool air ghosting over her vulva, before guiding the wet head of my cock to her entrance. She moaned and spread her legs wider, pelvis flexing as she tried to buck her hips up. I slowly entered her, making her wait what felt like an age before settling in to the hilt. She clenched and throbbed around me.

Her tail came up to scratch down my spine, making my hips twitch. Her little breasts jiggled at the movement. I couldn't wait any longer; I began to move in a steady rhythm, gradually picking up speed. She was relaxed beneath me, letting me set the pace and taking everything I gave her. As I sped up, her moans got louder and her face flushed pale pink. Her pelvic muscles fluttered around my cock and her pussy flooded with fluid, making my movements slicker and louder. I pressed my face into her neck and let go, willing Venestra to take my seed as it spilled inside Cara.

We panted, chests heaving against each other, and she reached down to unbuckle her straps. I helped her and massaged her legs as she straightened them with a click. A satisfied, sleepy smile was on her lips, and she lay there limply as I gave her gentle kisses.

I sat up next to her and stretched my worn muscles. The mahogany figure of Bea was lounging nearby, surrounded by three other demons, all stroking their tails up her legs. She beckoned to me, and I crawled over to her patch of cushions.

She sat up and kissed my ear, whispering, "Look at your friends."

I looked to where she was pointing, and my heart thrummed harder at the sight of Shadar coiled around and pumping into a whole group of demons. Quenlie was being fingered by two pretty burgundy demons, while Elser and Filick were sandwiching a golden brown demon between them.

I turned back to Bea and shared a smile with her, our lips meeting. She lay back and I followed her down, while her three companions closed in on me from all sides.

"You think you can handle all four of us?" Bea asked, sliding a leg up to hook around my waist.

"Yes," I said confidently. "You've seen the company I keep."

She hummed and smoothed her hands over my torso. "My superiors haven't worn you out?"

"Strangely, no." I jerked my hard cock in demonstration, and a drop of precome oozed out onto her stomach.

She gasped and slipped her fingers into the fluid, rubbing it down into her pussy. "Venestra must really be enjoying you."

The thought that I was pleasing and feeding a goddess made me shiver with excitement. Bea smiled widely and arched her chest against me, while her companions groped my thighs, my ass, and my balls. I moaned and bucked into the air above her.

"Nnnh, come here," she moaned and took my hips, wrapping her legs around them.

Her pussy stretched easily around me, but fit snug and tight.

We moaned together, lips sliding wetly over each other, while her companions' lips pressed against my thigh, my waist, my shoulder blade. Four pairs of hands roved over my body as I stilled inside Bea and let her get used to my girth. She pulled me flush against her and tightened her legs around me, breasts pressing into my chest. I melted into the curves of her body, her warm, tight embrace.

"Goddess Venestra," she murmured, flexing around me, "take strength from us and come back to this devoted temple. We miss you. Even the humans miss you. Deep needs you."

I hummed against her neck and kissed her pulse point. It thrummed softly against my lips. I began to move inside her, arms braced on either side of her shoulders and knees pressed between two cushions. As the wet friction built between us, I felt my mind begin to sing with an ethereal, transcendent pleasure. I could feel Venestra in every touch from Bea and her friends. Thrusting into her felt like delving deep and searching for the very core of Venestra and her power. The room seemed to spin around me, a large expanse of cushions and women tipping to and fro. Venestra's golden statue loomed tall over my back as I pressed down into Bea, who was emitting such impassioned moans, tossing her head and squeezing tight around me. Her orgasm flooded my senses with her pheromones, her fluid, her warmth, and her divine devotion. My own orgasm thundered inside me, unfurling in billowing waves and prickling up into my moaning mouth.

All worldly sensations left me, and all I experienced for a moment was transcendent pleasure. Bea was gone, the temple was gone, but Venestra was there, her embrace becoming ever more real and physical. I blinked, staring up into her red eyes. My pleasure quietened, and I gave a start, jumping away from the goddess and falling with my back against a soft, formless cloud. Venestra smiled warmly as realisation tore through my mind and I acclimatised to the fact that I was staring at a goddess.


	8. Venestra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alair meets the Goddess Venestra.

Her skin was a luxurious shade of purple, voluptuous curves framed by waves of burgundy hair. Purple horns extended up from her forehead, before her hairline, and her long tail swiveled out and around her body, a sharp point at the end. The triangle of burgundy hair between her legs was mesmerising, but her sly, affectionate eyes commanded the most attention.

I prostrated myself before her, and she chuckled, bending down to lift my chin up.

"Don't be afraid." Her voice resonated within and without me.

"It is more awe than fear," I whispered, sitting up.

She cradled my cheek and jaw in her hand. "You have pleased my priestesses well. I have appreciated every burst of pleasure you've devoted to me. You'd like something in return, wouldn't you?"

"I only wish for you to protect us, and all of your devoted demons from the threat that regrettably came from my own dimension. The unicorns also need you." I clasped my hand over hers, pressing it into my cheek.

She nodded, and I caught a weary look on her brow. "I will need your help, then."

"Me? I'll do anything for you." I paused, faltering. "Almost anything. I won't be fanatical for you."

"That is a good thing." She pinched my cheek and drew her hand away, her eyes smiling. "I do have a difficult request for you. I will need you to fight against your own goddess. To stand with me is to stand in defiance of Gaia."

A coil of dread wound down to the pit of my stomach, though I had been half expecting as much. "If Gaia is responsible for the discord in our dimensions, then I will fight with you to subdue her."

She smiled sadly and said, "Thank you."

Straightening up, she withdrew from me, and I craved her touch, rising to my feet and stepping towards her. With a finger she stilled me, and I rested back on my heels, barely feeling the ephemeral surface we stood on.

"I must test your prowess, your worthiness," she said, reaching behind her, into the russet rays of light and shadow. Grasping two objects, she brought them forward and placed them between us, where they floated in mid air. "Show me your alchemy skills."

I stared at the rock that was bursting with red gems, fanning out in a haphazard array of angles, and the drop of amber liquid that needed no vial or pouch to stay suspended.

"I don't have my tools," I said.

Venestra shook her head. "You don't need them."

That sentiment sounded absurd to me, alchemising with no burner, no green flame. It sounded like magic, like witchcraft, and that was a limited art and couldn't rival the power of alchemy. Still, I had to trust Venestra and do my best to fulfill her task. Maybe the laws of alchemy worked differently in this realm, and in her presence. Surely an alchemist powerful enough to create life knew what she was talking about.

So I drew upon her strength, focusing her ethereal presence in my mind and her corporeal presence before me into my hands. I felt my skin warm and tingle, taking on an otherworldly feeling in which I couldn't get burned, though the heat between my palms was rising.

I took the rock in one hand and the liquid in my other, feeling it wet my skin without spilling. Deep within, beyond the structure of their chemical components, they had an essence, like a soul with no life. I delved into them and learned what I could about these two seemingly disparate objects.

The rock was from a valley between Deep's two highest peaks, Mount Alend and Mount Hiyel. It had existed without light to shine through its gems until a powerful miner had excavated it. He had given it to Venestra in return for her protection against a rival faction of miners. She held onto it for three decades, waiting for its ultimate use. The gemstone was rivard, unique to Deep and running through to the very core of the world.

And there started the story of the amber liquid, formed as precipitation within the deepest cave in Deep. It was there that the first shadow demons had been born. It had taken them forty days to crawl up to the surface and finally meet their rival, the sun. This drop of liquid held notes of every rock on the surface of Deep, and had been carried to the surface on the brow of a shadow demon so precious that her sweat had been gathered by Venestra for use in creating all subsequent new life.

Though I couldn't be sure what exactly Venestra wanted me to do with these substances, I had an idea of what they could be together. So I brought my hands closer, until the liquid pressed against the shards of red gemstone. It seeped into every corner and crack, but wouldn't merge without my help. I concentrated all my energy on the heat simmering between my palms. A green flame burst over the rock and the liquid, making them bubble, melt, and evaporate into a thick cloud of amber and red gas.

Slowly, their molecules merged and solidified between my hands, within the green flame. They took form as a set of four conjoined stone rings, each with a pointed and sharp gem jutting out. Somehow, I knew that they could pierce the toughest hide. The weapon settled on my palms and the green flame winked out.

Venestra stepped closer, to stare at my creation, red eyes bright with curiosity. I took her hand reverently and slid the rings onto her fingers, where they fit snug and secure. She turned her wrist to and fro, while the gemstones glinted with red light.

"Do you think this will help me fight against Gaia?" she asked.

"I think it could do her damage, yes," I said with more surety than I felt.

She closed her eyes, and conviction settled over her face. Opening her eyes and staring straight into mine, she said, "Then I will wear it when you summon me."

My mind sang with so much joy that it ached. I expelled air from my lungs in a giddy laugh, clutching my chest. She grasped my hand and brought my knuckles to her lips. As she let go, I took her face between my hands and brought her in for a tender, reverent kiss. I could feel her power in every shift of her lips, every swipe of her tongue, and every bat of her lashes. For a long time, I revelled in the sweet taste of her mouth, the plush feel of her lips, and the warm puff of her breath. I kissed her thoroughly, deeply, without concern for anything else, for nothing felt urgent, only the desire to know this goddess inside and out.

Her hands laced into my hair and her tapered, pointed tongue dipped into my mouth. As she licked at the roof of my mouth I realised just how long her tongue was, extending into the back of my mouth with a soft moan and sigh. Her fangs grazed my bottom lip in a pleasant sting, and she sucked at the flesh with a squeak and a swack.

My hips rested against hers, my cock rubbing over her stomach, and she moaned, taking it in one hand. With an experimental jerk of her wrist, she had me moaning into her mouth and digging my blunt nails into her hips. I stroked upwards, over her ribs, to squeeze a breast, feel it’s weight, its rounded shape, the hard nipple at the end, rosy purple and perky. My other hand slid down her back and cupped her ass, dipping in between her cheeks and finding her perineum and the slick edge of her labia.

A soft curl of burgundy hair swirled over her pubic mound, and I parted it to reveal her clitoral hood and labia.

She let go of my cock and drew away from me, reclining on a cloud, shining pink under the light that seemed to have no source. I followed, desperate to keep touching her. My hips slotted between her legs and my arms rested around her head, while my body hovered over hers, so close but not touching. She locked her legs around me and drew me in, pushed me down with her ankles at the small of my back. I slid the head of my cock over her labia and up to her clit, wet and gentle.

She moaned indulgently, pulling me in closer and reaching out with her long tongue to lick my cheek. I plunged into her in an intimate gesture of obeisance, feeling like I was made to do this, to fit inside her and please her. Her moan was pleasure enough just to listen to. She flexed internally, encouraging me in deeper. I kissed her as I slid in to the hilt, pressing my chest against hers, while she arched into me.

To be inside her was too beautiful a sensation; I began to rock with short thrusts, never sliding much of my cock out of her. Her hips worked in time with my rhythm, and we set up a steady flow of friction and slick, hot pressure. As I sped up into quick little thrusts, she flexed her pelvis, muscles fluttering internally and milking an orgasm out of me. I willed myself to relax, to not blow it so soon, as her gorgeous moans told me she was really getting into it.

I couldn’t miss her orgasm as it throbbed through her like a magical burst of energy. It cinched around my cock and sent me into a delirious spell of bucking hips and desperate kisses. I spilled my seed deep inside her and pumped through it, wet and sticky.

She cradled my head and smiled at me with cheeky affection as we shivered through our aftershocks. I kissed her softly, dipping my tongue between her teeth, then pulled my softening cock out of her. As a force of habit, I looked down to check that she had consumed my fluid, but of course she had. She tipped my chin up with a tap of her finger and winked at me.

"This will sustain me for a long time. Thank you."

"You feel stronger?" I breathed.

"Yes. I may, yet, be able to fight. I wanted to derail Gaia’s plans quietly, but now I feel like I have the option to fight her openly." Her voice shook just a little as she spoke.

"You know what her plan is?" I asked.

"Yes. She wants the six dimensions for herself, not just Earth."

My eyes widened and my mouth gasped. Venestra rolled me over onto my back, sitting up to straddle me. Looking down her straight nose at me, she suddenly looked intimidating. I gulped and squeezed her hips with supplicating hands.

"Are you ready to fight a goddess who is reaching for more power than she was ever meant to have?" The intensity of her whisper had me reeling.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I said, "I am. I will defend you, and Deep, all the demons who are just trying to live their lives, who won’t submit to her rule, her interference, or her sabotage. I will fight for every other goddess and dimension, and repel my own back where she came from. I will summon you and fight the humans who are causing havoc in Deep, and wherever else they travel."

"Good." She pressed her lips to mine, her hair falling down around my face like a curtain. "Don’t forget this vow when your dear goddess is looking into your eyes and demanding your worship, your deference, and your obedience."

I gulped and nodded. I had to believe I could do it. She relaxed against me and lay her head on my chest. I brushed my fingertips through her hair, stroking her scalp.

After a few beats, I spoke again. "One more thing I have to ask: what is Titania?"

Venestra paused a moment. "I suppose you could call her the goddess of the goddesses."

"She made you?" I blinked, heart speeding up again.

"Yes. I know what you're thinking. Why not ask her for help? Because I already know she won't." She sat up and looked at me with a resigned frown.

"I'm sorry," I said, for it seemed such a tragedy for her to have no one to turn to.

She shook her head. "Don't be. I have five other goddesses to seek help from. If they know what's good for them, they will join me. Maybe they will let you summon them, too."

I flushed and sat up in excitement, nose bumping hers. "I've always dreamed of being able to summon just one goddess. Six seems just wild."

She laughed and gave me a kiss. "Let me fulfill your dream, then. Whenever you need me, draw a pentagram symbol in the air and call my name." She demonstrated with her finger, and I copied her. Nodding, she took my hand and tilted her head, a concerned line denting between her brows. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I squeezed her hand, then coughed into my elbow. The air scratched and seemed to struggle through my esophagus. "Actually, my asthma's acting up. I think I got a bit excited."

She smoothed her hand over my throat, and she scratchy, constricted feeling subsided. "There you go. Don't forget your inhaler."

"Thanks!" I marvelled at how easy it was to breathe. "I guess I did forget about it, recently. I've been a bit distracted."

"Look after yourself." She smoothed my hair back from my face.

"And you." I nodded and pressed my forehead against hers. I could feel the bumps were her horns began.

"I'll deliver you back to your companions," she said, squeezing the back of my head.

"Won't you come with me? It would mean so much to Shadar." I pleaded with my eyes.

"I will visit her, too." She nodded, then released me and stood up.

Before I had a chance to stand, too, the landscape of clouds and ethereal light disappeared with a  _ whump _ and I found myself flat on my back, on top of satin cushions. The beams of the temple ceiling arched over me, and three curious faces were staring down at my prone form. When my eyes blinked open, they burst into smiles. Quenlie swept me into a hug, her breasts squishing against my shoulder.

"We were worried about you! It was like you were dreaming so far away from us, and then your cut and your burn healed."

I hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Venestra visited me."

" _ The _ Venestra?" Elser yelped.

"Did you ask her for help?" said Filick.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I made her a weapon, and she said I can summon her, now."

"Seriously?" Quenlie squeaked. "What a dream!"

"I know, right." I laughed, feeling giddy.

"Shadar was just..." Elser looked to her right and cocked her head. "Is she visiting her, now?"

"Yes." I followed her gaze to Shadar's sleeping body, limbs sprawled out and tentacles coiling along the ground. "Shadar really deserves some answers."

Elser nodded and patted Shadar's thigh. "So...did you and Venestra..." her lips twisted, then burst into a smile, and I caught her drift.

My own smile was so big it ached in my cheeks. "We did. It was amazing."

"Wow." She swayed a little and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Tell us everything." Quenlie nuzzled my shoulder from my other side.

Filick gave me a coquettish look through her opalescent hair.

"Alright." I lay back and pulled all three women with me, searching for the words that could do Venestra justice.


	9. Equip for Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alair and co. get ready to face Eve and her Gaia worshipping warriors.

Once Shadar had awoken, happy tears in her eyes, we were all taken into the dining room to eat. Several of the temple maidens had been preparing a feast while the rest of us were worshipping with our bodies. Every morsel was sacrificed to Venestra as it cooked, and it showed in the taste and texture. Something about it was transcendent, like all sacrificial orgasms were. I decided I needed to learn how to sacrifice my own food, in the future. 

As we ate, Seil gave us an update on the happenings around Derrid and the next town, Fanka. “The same group that,” she lowered her voice, “killed Cara’s family are rumoured to be travelling between the towns, sabotaging farm equipment as they go. No animals have been hurt, thank Venestra, but some dogs were stolen.”

Elser covered her mouth with her hands and squeaked. “I need to call my parents. And Fairer. Our farm manager,” she explained. “Maybe I shouldn’t have left in such a hurry.”

“We’ll stop them before they can do any more damage,” Shadar said, and turned to me. “Now that Alair can summon Venestra, they’ll be no match for us.”

“They do have Gaia on their side, now we know that for sure,” I said. “It would be best if we equipped ourselves well before leaving.”

Bea came by ostensibly to bring us a plate of grilled and spiced banana, but her ears were visibly twitching and her eyes were alight with curiosity. I smiled and beckoned her over, and she sat sideways on my lap, an arm around my shoulders. 

Seil gave her a nod and thanked her for the food, scooping a banana onto her plate. “We have some weapons in storage, mostly for defending the temple.”

“Would you mind if we alchemised some?” I asked

“Go ahead. I will show you which ones you can use.”

We finished our food, and I barely tasted the spices, only felt them tingle in my mouth. I was too preoccupied with ideas for weapons and tactics for our looming fight. Bea stroked my hair and fed me more than I was hungry for, which I absently ate. 

Cara supervised us in the weapons store room, helping us pick through curved scimitars, throwing stars, batons, and even whips. My sword felt very ordinary compared to the range of weapons they had. Still, it felt familiar in my hands, like a friend I’d grown attached to. 

I turned to Quenlie and asked, “What do you think we could use to improve on our swords?”

She pursed her lips, tapping her chin with a ponderous finger as she scanned the shelves with her eyes. “What’s the sharpest substance you’ve got here?”

Cara perked up, walking jauntily over to a set of translucent knives. Their blades seemed to be made of a cold blue crystal that glinted under the electric lights and warped everything if you tried to look through them. 

“These are icacule knives,” she said, holding two up and twirling them with practiced ease. “Not only will they slice cleanly through almost anything, they also give your opponent frostbite if you get the angle right.”

My eyes widened in both fear and the thirst for violence. Quenlie hurried over on her tiptoes and picked up one of the blades, excitement in the flush of her cheeks. 

“They’re pretty,” she marvelled. 

“How likely are we to accidentally give ourselves frostbite?” I asked. 

“Hmm.” Cara twisted them to and fro, testing each angle on mid air, seeming to calculate equations in her head. “Unlikely, to be honest. You’d have to fall on it pretty hard. Even then, you’re more likely to die from the cut than the frostbite.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “Let’s do it. Shall we just alchemise it with one sword, and make the other different?”

“Oh, please can I have this one?” Quenlie asked, twirling the knife she held in a clumsy but confident imitation of Cara’s moves. 

I chuckled. “Sure.”

We arranged Quenlie’s alchemy set on the store room floor and lay her sword and icacule knife before her warming burner. Before placing them into the flask, I held each item and tried to analyse them with my new found skill. 

The pin sword was easy. It had begun life at  _ Vanderbilt’s Jewellers  _ when its metal and pearl components were joined by a precise hand. But, no, it had a life before that, as iron ore, milled into steel, before arriving at the jeweller’s workshop. That iron was mined in Sadrana, where it had sat in the mangenite rock for millennia. 

The icacule crystal, on the other hand, originated at the north pole of Deep, one of the only places cold enough to produce something like it. Demons mined it out of the icebergs and infused it with magic that made it the most precise and sharp substance in the dimension. This crystal was responsible for five bouts of frostbite since mining. 

Touching both mined substances, I brought them together and focussed my energy between my palms. The green flame of alchemy submerged them in flickering light, and they melted and bubbled within my grasp. Slowly, they evaporated and merged into one silver-blue gaseous cloud. They solidified once more as a faintly translucent sword with a glinting, sharp blade, blue in the shadows and silver in the light. 

Quenlie was whispering. As I came out of my trance, I heard, “...never seen something so amazing in my life.”

I blinked at her, holding out the sword on careful, open palms. She shook as she took it, and it wobbled in her grasp. Hurriedly, she set it down in front of her knees and opted for staring at it in wonder, instead. 

“How did you do that?” she asked, pupils dilated as she looked at me. 

“I did it when I was with Venestra,” I said. “To be honest, I’m surprised I could do it here, without her.”

“Dad never told us anything about alchemists without burners. Maybe without a flask, but definitely not without a burner.” She gesticulated with emphatic slices of her hand. 

Cara stepped over to us, hands folded behind her back. “I have heard of witches who can conjure fire without tinder. Maybe it’s a combination between alchemy and witchcraft.”

“Wow.” I stared at her for a moment. “Me? Witchcraft? I never imagined such a thing.”

“The only witch I know is Jen Clement, and she’s a Gaia fanatic. We need to make friends with a better witch and talk this over.” Quenlie smoothed her hands down my naked shoulders and nodded to herself. “Maybe Elser knows someone.”

“Good idea,” I said, still processing the thought that I’d merged two distinct disciplines. “In the meantime, help me decide how to upgrade my sword.”

“Right.” Quenlie clapped her hands. 

We turned back to the shelves, and Cara gave us a commentary on each weapon that struck our fancy. In the end, we decided on a set of brass knuckles. If I was honest, I wanted to get closer to Venestra, with her new and deadly crystal rings. 

I began the process of my witchly alchemy again, touching both the knuckles and my sword. The knuckles felt eager to tell me their story, of the deep pressure the galar metal was formed under, creating one of the hardest substances in all six dimensions. It was born deep within Deep, which felt significant. What metal would be more fitting to defend this dimension with?

My sword began as run of the mill letter opener, mass produced in a factory in Leodra, a neighbouring town of Kingston. The steel, curiously, came from the same mining expedition as Quenlie’s hat pin. It was as though they were destined to battle side by side. 

I merged the two weapons in a silver and russet haze that solidified into a gauntlet with two long spikes jutting out of the knuckles. They shot out and withdrew into the glove in turns when I clenched my fist. It was hard to say where my intuition had come up with that crazy idea. I just hoped I’d be able to wield it properly in battle. 

Cara considered us for a long moment, sizing up the clumsy way we held our upgraded weapons. “I’m torn. I know I should stay and protect this temple, but I desperately want to go with you. It’s for selfish, revenge-based reasons, though.”

“I respect your right to revenge, and would welcome you on our journey,” I said. 

“If we really are going up against Eve Fullbright, we need all the help we can get,” Quenlie said. 

Cara blew thoughtful air out her pursed lips and picked at the skin around her thumbnail. She turned to the shelves of weapons, grabbed a set of throwing stars and a sword, and marched out of the store room with Quenlie and I hurrying behind her. 

Out in the altar room, we found Seil and Shadar conversing with serious expressions, while Elser and Filick whispered nearby. Cara handed the throwing stars to Shadar and the sword to Filick. 

“I’m going to teach you all a few battle tactics while you’re here. I would go with you and lend my blade, but there are other bands of scoundrels roaming about and the temple needs protecting.” Her white skin flushed pink as she clenched her fists in front of her. “Let’s go!”

She marched out of the temple building, leaving us to catch up with her. 

Behind the temple was a courtyard fenced with climbing vines and thorned shrubs. The cobblestones underfoot were assembled in an image of Venestra made up of different coloured cubes. I stood on top of the purple stones that made up her hand, and gazed at her likeness, heart thrumming. The next time I saw her, I would be battling Eve Fullbright and possibly Gaia. All I had to do was draw her symbol and say her name. I practiced drawing the pentagram in the air while my companions assembled around the courtyard in a circle. 

“Now,” Cara snapped my attention to her, “Elser, I have no idea about guns, so I hope you know what you’re doing with that thing.”

Elser winked and saluted. “Sure do!”

“Good. You can learn some basic battle techniques with the others. If you’re too close range to shoot, ram them with your horns.” 

She demonstrated by tipping her head down and running with her sharp, white horns parallel to the ground. Elser and Shadar copied her stance, bracing themselves with their knees bent and arms out, and practiced running around the courtyard. I didn’t know whether they looked funny or frightening.

“Don’t forget to use your tail, Elser.” Cara demonstrated by wrapping her tail around my neck and pointing the sharp end at my throat. 

I froze, staring at her in alarm and waiting for her to unwind me. Instead, she yanked it tighter and rose her eyebrows. I lifted my gauntleted hand and pulled her in by the tail, slackening the bond between us. Her feet skidded along the ground and kicked up red dust. I coughed and waved my bare hand in front of my face, trying to disperse the dust before it went up my nose. Too late. I was wheezing. 

Cara let me go and rubbed my back. “Shit, sorry.”

I shook my head and waved my hand. My voice came out raspy. “You know who else has asthma? Kalista.” I gestured to Elser. “And if that doesn’t work, make her run for more than five minutes.”

“Right. Any other exploitable disabilities we ought to know about?” Cara rested her hands on her hips.

“Eve’s ego?” Quenlie quipped. “Actually, I heard she’s been blessed by Gaia with perfect health.”

“Hah.” I tapped my cheek, thinking. “Doesn’t Baron get cramp all the time? Jen was going on about how he needed her magnesium supplements.”

“How do you give someone a cramp?” Shadar asked, laughing.

“Kick ‘em in the back of the knee!” Elser cackled. “That’s what my friends and I do to each other.”

We all laughed incredulously at her.

“You know, Walter has no attention span,” Quenlie said. “Remember, Jen’s great nephew. He usually goes with Eve, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “White blond hair, tanned, freckled skin. He’s actually pretty fun when he’s not angry. Maybe we can distract him from his conviction.”

“Who else? Sofia?” Quenlie tipped her weight from foot to foot. “I hope not… She’s so sanctimonious.”

“Yeah, but at least she’s not bloodthirsty,” I said. “She’s more likely to bore us to death with worshipful praises of Gaia.”

Quenlie giggled and swiped at me. “Oh, you heathen.”

“You say that now,” Cara unsheathed her sword and pointed it at us, “but how will you act when you’re face to face with your goddess?”

Quenlie hefted her sword in front of her and I clenched my gauntlet, making the two blades shoot out of the glove. I raised them in front of me in a defensive stance, ready for when Cara came swinging her blade at me. 

“How could you turn against your own goddess?” she yelled.

I parried each of her jabs and pushed her back towards Quenlie. She turned on her and continued her taunts.

“Gaia gave you life! Gaia rules your world! You should be helping her conquer more worlds!”

Quenlie’s sword clashed with hers, and the metal rang and sparked against the icacule crystal. Filick stepped in, thrusting her sword into the fray, and Cara blocked it easily.

“And you! Why would you turn to Venestra for help when Gaia is clearly the stronger goddess?”

Filick gave a squeak of surprise and fought to keep hold of her sword.

“You’re doing the right thing, Filick!” I called out and charged towards Cara, who easily defended against both of us, sword slashing from one side to the other.

Two throwing stars whizzed through the melee and stuck into the wooden frame surrounding the courtyard. Shadar struck a pose as we all turned to her, tentacles fanning out around her head.

“Ah, good job!” Cara panted and sheathed her sword.

We spent the rest of the day sparring and learning to properly aim our weapons, while a group of priestesses and temple attendants gathered outside to watch us. Every time Bea waved at me or my eyes met Seil’s scrutinous gaze, I faltered and ended up slipping or getting my gauntlet wrenched backwards and my arm twisted. By the end of Cara’s lesson, I was doubting my prowess even more, but she was full of praises for all of us, even my clumsy moves. 

Attendants bathed us for a second time, scrubbing away the hard earned sweat from our bodies, and wrapped us up with athletics tape before dressing us in our cleaned clothes. 

A demon sprinted into the temple grounds, her two tails whipping out behind her, and panted with her hands on her knees for a moment. Seil waited patiently for her to speak, while an attendant rubbed her back and another fetched her a bottle of water. 

“The farmlands just west of here,” she said, gulping and panting and panicking. “Fire!”

I could visibly see the dread creep onto everyone’s faces. 

Elser breathed so hard she snorted. I moved over to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Her posture slumped against me. 

“We should go now, before things get worse,” Shadar said, gathering us all with a tentacle at each of our backs. 

I wrapped my free arm around her, squeezed the two pairs of shoulders in my grasp, and said, “You’re right. How far away are the humans?”

The two tailed demon who had run in with the news said, “It took me an hour to get here. I’d say they’re about half a day away at a steady walking pace.”

I thanked her, noting her sweat drenched shirt and shorts, both tight and optimised for running, unlike my heavy jacket and silk trousers. There was no way we’d be able to fight after running as fast as she had.

We each hugged Seil in turn, and Bea made sure to get a good squeeze from me as we went. 

“Return any time you need to,” Seil said, pressing my hand over her chest. “I hope you come back in good condition, and with good news.”

“Me too.” I tipped my head down to nuzzle against her horns, kissed her plush lips, and eased my hand out of her grip.


	10. A Clash of Goddesses

Beyond the flat and scorched rock that surrounded the temple of Venestra, we came to a thick forest that appeared to be on fire. On closer inspection, the fluttering red leaves, all pointing up into the russet sky, just gave the illusion of flames. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the blazing appearance of everything in Deep. So much of the time, it really did signify fire, but not every time.

We walked into the dappled red light, sticks crunching beneath our feet as we stepped between the shrubs and ferns. The ground was springy with mulch and moisture. 

Filick sniffed the air, chin tilted up. “I swear I can smell smoke.”

“Oh, Venestra, do you think the fire really did spread down here?” Elser’s voice was high and tight.

“If we cut north-west, we’ll reach the edge of the forest quickest,” Shadar said. “I’ll flow on ahead and check that the way is safe. Don’t stray too far if you want me to find you again.”

She shot us the V for victory sign and melted into the forest as a creeping shadow along the ground, climbing the tree trunks and rapidly passing away from us. The lack of her blanketing presence over our group made me feel bereft. We pressed on in the direction she had gone, stepping carefully over tree roots that jutted out of the soil. She returned quickly to us, a fast moving shadow looming towards us, then taking physical form as the woman we knew. 

Gathering us together with her tentacles, she said, “I’ve seen the fire. We’re safe in this forest for now, but we should make our way out quickly. The flames almost reach the sun.”

I felt the colour drain from my face, a harsh prickling in my skin. “Thank you. Let’s go.”

Doubling our speed, we came to the edge of the forest and caught sight of the rolling hills of the Fanka countryside between the branches and trunks. I would have thought I was looking at more of the fire red forest, if it weren’t for the plume of smoke billowing up from the flames that licked the sky. As we left the forest, we took stock of just how large the damage was. The entire horizon was aflame, engulfing the two cottages within our view. We paused, not knowing how to get around it. 

“This is worse than the incident with the arsonist gang back in 2014,” Elser said in a hushed voice. 

I coughed and blocked my nose and mouth with my sleeve. “They can’t have done this much damage without Gaia’s help.”

“Oh, Gaia.” Quenlie sobbed. “What have you done?” 

She closed her eyes, hands clasped before her chin, and mouthed words of prayer into her fingers. I watched her with affection and pity. Even after all of this, there was some hope in her that Gaia could be turned around. 

“Did you see where the fire originated?” Filick asked Shadar, peering through her yellow tinted glasses at the dark and fiery scene before us. 

“This way.” Shadar pointed diagonally with a tentacle, to the left of the fire. 

So we walked around the edge, as far away from the plume of smoke as we could get. As we walked, I alchemised a set of smoke resistant masks to wear over our noses and mouths, using scraps of Quenlie’s old clothes and one of my water filters. The smoke continued to sting my eyes, but at least I could breathe without wheezing. 

We soon came to the edge of the blazing vegetable field, and the fire petered out into a field of yellow grass. Large blue vehicles with hoses and ladders strapped to the sides stood out against the warm tones of the landscape. Demons clad in green and blue jumpsuits and horn-shaped hard hats were spraying the fire with jets of water and throwing sand over the flames, suffocating it out of existence metre by metre. We jogged up to them, as close as we could safely get, though they waved us away.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” I called out. “We’ve got alchemists.”

One of the fire fighters jogged over to us while continuing to direct his hose towards the blaze. Lifting that amount of flowing water while running seemed impossible, but the huge biceps straining the seams of his jumpsuit said otherwise.

“Our team with the nitrogen spray are on their way, but if you could alchemise us some, that would be great,” he said through his mask.

I looked at Quenlie and we nodded at each other. This was basic alchemy, but on a much larger scale. 

As the firefighter went back to work, we got out both of our alchemist’s burners and turned them up to full heat. The air around their tripods rippled with heat, and their green flames stood out against the red and yellow surroundings. While Quenlie set our flasks over the flames, I collected nitrogen between my hands, concentrating on the gas and leaving out the oxygen. It felt both silly to hold what looked like nothing, and so very important to hold the substance that could suffocate the fire. I called on Venestra, drawing a pentagram in the air and whispering her name. 

A great wind billowed through me, ruffling my lacy collar and sending my hair flying about my face. I could feel Venestra’s powerful arms encircling mine, guiding me as I guided the flow of air and directed all of the nitrogen towards the fire. Her breath mingled with mine and I blew a gust of nitrogen and carbon dioxide over the smoke filled sky.

The flames seemed to bend away from the wind billowing from me, trying to arc around its flow, then winking out and leaving charred, black soil and vegetation. It flowed like a ripple through a pond. 

My breath faltered, and I wheezed. I fell into Venestra’s cradling arms and she lay me on the yellow grass. Shadar rushed forward to support my back and arms with her tentacles, her shadowy embrace cooling my warmed skin. I felt Venestra’s soothing, healing hand on my throat, and my breathing came easier, esophagus opening up.

“Amazing!” Quenlie gushed. “Like magic!”

“More than magic,” Filick said, arm around her lacy shoulders as she gazed out at the charred farmland.

“He really can summon her.” Elser’s voice trembled, a high pitched warble intercut with sniffles.

I closed my eyes and rested for a moment, while my companions fussed over me, loosening my collar and tipping filtered water between my lips. My head was nestled in Shadar’s bosom and I felt safe, victorious, and important. I’d never felt so important in my life, never done something with such far reaching consequences. 

Sitting up, I rubbed my stinging eyes and blinked at Shadar. 

She smiled warmly at me and said, “You did a good job. The best job.”

I chuckled and hugged her. “Thank you.”

Slowly, I stood up on wobbly legs and we made our way through the yellow field, in the direction Shadar had seen Eve and her gang. This time, we walked much slower. The movement helped my dizzy head right itself and my posture got stronger as we went.

We crested a hill, opening up a new horizon to our view. In the distance, we could see the town of Fanka, factories giving way to tall apartment buildings, much taller than anything I’d grown up with in Kingston. Before the town started, a thick field of gorse covered the valley, overshadowed by the hill we stood upon. Deep in the needle-like shrub, cutting their way through, was a group of five people. 

Quenlie shielded her eyes from the sun and peered out at them. “I don’t think they have horns. I think they’re the humans.”

Anticipation and dread thrummed in my veins.

The group paused in their thrashing, and I thought I could see their faces turn towards us. After a moment, they changed direction, doubling back and wading back through their path. They were coming right for us. Did they know we had come for them?

We waited on top of the hill and watched them approach with ever heightening tension pulling at our tendons. Soon, I could make out Eve Fullbright’s tall figure, her red hair tied back in a smart bun, her tanned skin gleaming, and her brown leather corset tight around her waist. There was a sliver of bare leg between her shorts and her thigh high boots, thick and muscular. I was reminded of what a stunning woman she was, and I cursed myself for thinking such thoughts about my enemy.

Beside her, Kalista Welich strode, her lanky legs strapped up with leather and lace, long leather gloves covering her hands and arms. A gun sat on each hip, plus another in her hands, trained on our group.

Though the two women were tall, Baron hulked over them, his cool, tanned skin rough with dirt and soot. His hand lay on the simple hilt of his sword. His practical clothes held no sign of status or wealth, just as he liked it. 

Walter Portick’s white blond hair was a shock against the ruddy landscape. His short and wiry frame only came up to Baron’s chest. His freckled cheeks were rosy, and he looked like an excited child, grin pushing at his cheekbones. A knife was clutched in his large, bony hand, and his fashionable horse riding clothes fit him perfectly. From the look on his face, one might think he was approaching old friends.

Sofia Creston was the last in the group, with her gorgeous, curvy figure and brown hair falling in luscious waves down her shoulders and back. Her small smile was thoughtful, almost peaceful, though she held two batons in her fists. Though her bodice was comfortable, less cinching than the others, her waist dipped in more dramatically before her frilly skirt flared out.

She was the first to speak as the group neared us. “My friends! Alair, Quenlie! What a wonderful surprise to meet you out here.”

I snorted, unable to take her pleasantries. “I can’t call you friends, after what you’ve done here.”

“How could you? Those homes! The livelihoods.” Quenlie’s breath hitched between her words.

“We’re making way for colonisation.” Eve said it in such a reasonable tone of voice. “You know how easily Deep catches fire. It’s its natural state of being as it clears space for the new.”

“You know nothing about this land,” Elser spat. “You think stupid human farmers can till it with your stupid fucking Earth crops? Is that what you intend? Huh?”

“Of course.” Eve’s smile was blood curdlingly smug. 

Elser raised her gun and shot between Eve’s legs. Kalista shot out in retaliation, narrowly missing Elser’s hand and hitting the barrel of her gun. She reeled back, but the gun only dented, and she righted herself, knees bent and a growl emitting from her throat.

“Now, now.” Eve raised her hands. “A fight with you would be a waste of all of our time. Why don’t you come join the righteous side, and Gaia will forgive your heresy.”

“Gaia needs  _ my _ forgiveness,” I said, heart thudding as I raised my gauntleted hand and squeezed, releasing the blades from the knuckles.

“You don’t want to hurt me.” Eve’s deep brown eyes were so beautiful.

I gulped and let a harsh breath out, steeling my resolve in the brace of my feet against the ground. “If you stop this, I won’t have to hurt you.”

“Very well, then.” She lunged for me, sword slicing through the air. 

I defended with my gauntlet out, blades screeching against hers. The air rang with the sound of metal on metal on crystal, and gunpowder popping and banging. I jabbed towards Eve’s face, yelling as I was pushed back by her sword. I skidded along the ground and dug my heels in, and braced myself for her next attack.

I heard Sofia’s cry from beside us. Half of her baton lay beside her, sliced off by Quenlie’s icacule sword. She held the other half up by the hilt, defending against Quenlie’s slices as she hacked. Baron ran to her and clashed his sword against Quenlie’s, but was kicked in the shin by Filick and sent sprawling. She stood over him, sword at his throat, and his comrades stilled, all except for Eve, who kept lunging at me with her blade glinting red under the sun. 

“Stop this or he gets it!” Filick called out, her blade pressing under Baron’s collar.

Kalista tried to shoot at her, but Shadar blocked the bullet with a throwing star, while her tentacles encircled Walter’s arms and legs.

“Hah!” Eve leaped back from me and sheathed her sword. Before I could lunge for her, she drew a diamond in the air and yelled, “Gaia!”

A whirl of wind surrounded her, knocking us all onto our backs. My head cracked against a rock and the sky spun around me. The golden brown figure of Gaia towered over me, narrow and lean, strong limbs akimbo. Her blonde hair shone copper in the sunlight, fanning out around her face, and her brown eyes were wide and so, so deep. My spinning focus was sucked in, tugged by an invisible rope and swallowed by those eyes.

“Alair!” Quenlie yelled. “Venestra!”

I scrunched my eyes closed, shook my head, and drew a pentagram with my blades, calling, “Venestra!” into the wind-wrecked air.

The gust was pushed back, and Venestra’s purple skin and burgundy hair seemed to tear through the very fabric of the sky and step into view. She wore the crystal rings I’d made for her, and strode forward, slashing out at Gaia with the sharp ends.

Her voice was a loud howl. “You will meddle in my land no longer!”

Gaia dodged back and blocked the crystals with her forearms like mighty tree trunks. A gash tore through her brown skin, but no blood leaked out. She pushed her palms out and seemed to shove the whole world forward, shunting Venestra onto her back. Gaia leapt, straddling her and pinning her wrists with one hand. 

With a deafening crack, she punched through the crystal rings and broke the weapon I’d so lovingly crafted. Venestra cried out in anguish and pain as the shards embedded into her scalp. Gaia’s powerful fist smashed down into her face and the force of the blow sent out shock waves along the ground, splitting it like an earthquake. 

Rage boiled up within me as I watched my old goddess pummel my new goddess, and I ran for her ankles, slicing into the golden brown flesh. It cracked like wood but stayed intact. She raised her foot and slammed it down onto me, flattening me into the soil. My vision went white, then black, then consciousness left me.

*******

I awoke to a slap on the cheek. My chest felt hollow and raw, and my limbs felt like they’d been torn apart then reassembled. I could hear Elser yelling, then a clatter and thud.

“Last chance to change your mind, heathen.” Eve said into my face. “I’ll forgive you, nurse you back to health, wouldn’t you like that?” Her voice would have been sweet if it weren’t laced with such arrogance and vitriol.

“How about,” I spat my words out, eyes blinking open upon her disastrously beautiful face, “last chance for you to beg Venestra for forgiveness and leave this dimension alone.”

She laughed callously and gave my collar a rough shake. “What a waste. A waste of a good dimension and a waste of a good alchemist on that whore of a goddess.”

My blood boiled at her words and I tried to sit up. The world tipped around me, and she shoved me back down.

“Does she even deserve to be called a goddess? So weak and ineffectual.”

“The demons are great people and Deep is so advanced, so modern. It can certainly hold a candle to Earth,” I said.

“Oh, really?” Eve sneered and squatted down beside my head. “Did they tell you that they’re ruining their environment with all their technological advances? An exponential environmental disaster.” She laughed.

“If that is true,” I said with a cloying sense of dread, “then we should be helping them, not encouraging their destruction.”

“Oh, we won’t destroy them completely.” Her smug smile was back. “Just enough to give them no choice but to bow before Gaia’s strength. News will soon spread of Venestra’s defeat. Who are they going to worship now?  _ Aurora _ ?” She laughed cruelly and shot a look at Filick, who was being pinned by Baron. “Another goddess who can’t run her own dimension.” She sighed. “So much work for Gaia to do.”

She stood, and I tried to follow, but was kicked back by Walter’s expensive boot. I clutched my nose and rolled over onto my stomach.

“Have fun perishing with your new goddess!” Eve’s laughter carried into the distance. The crunch of her footsteps signalled her departure, leaving us sprawled on the hilltop overlooking the ashy farmland.


End file.
